Christmas Suprises
by the psycho sour skittle
Summary: Christmas time in New York hits the SVU team
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SVU. I wish that I did, but I don't. However, I love the show, and I love Elliot and Olivia. BTW, I don't really hate Dani, but I don't like her with Elliot, and I also figured that if something happened to Elliot, she'd be the most likely one to come back. The story begins about 8 months after Olivia comes back from working for the feds.

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The lights were glimmering through the ice-frosted glass. A winter storm had just passed through the city, leaving the surrounding area white with the pure snow. Hardly any cars were out, and the high rises were dark and covered in snow. Trees resembled tall, tiered, frosted cakes, the kind you might find at a wedding. Stars were beginning to break through the fading clouds, and the full moon illuminated the tranquil sight. To anyone walking down the avenue, nothing was amiss. The lights from the apartments cast a soft glow on the lawns, and the street lamps lit up the icy streets. It seemed to be a normal, December sight, save for one dark window that seemed to stand out against the colorful windows, most decorated for the Christmas season. Inside this apartment lived one single person, all alone.

SVU detective Olivia Benson sat in the window seat of her room, her short brown hair feathered around her face. Dark blond streaks colored her locks of hair. Her brown eyes held all the hurt she had dealt with the past few years, and seemed to hold a haunted look of resentment. She was wrapped up in a soft gray robe, and her arms were looped over her drawn-up knees, hugging her legs to her chest. Her hands and her feet were growing numb, but she ignored them both. The spark of life had left, leaving her cold inside and out. _Oh Elliot._ She fought the tears back, and closed her eyes briefly. _You promised that we would spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together this year to make up the past year._ After a while of sitting and watching the storm pass, she got up and wiped her eyes. She changed into a pair of Elliot's flannel pants and her grey NYPD shirt before climbing under the covers. She had to be up in four hours for work.

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The 16th precinct was busy with activity. Olivia walked out of the elevator and was greeted by Munch and Fin. "Liv! Happy Thanksgiving!" The duo encircled her in a huge hug. Dani glanced up briefly before handing Olivia a folder. "It's our next case. Don wants to see you in his office to brief you on it." Olivia waited until her partner turned around before making a face at her turned back. Munch and Fin snorted trying to keep the laugher in as she walked off towards Don Cragen's office. She smiled when she heard Dani asking what was so funny. Scanning the folder, she frowned. She didn't know why Don wanted to see her; it was a typical, basic case. A teenage girl was beaten, raped and left to die, but the parent's came home two hours early and found her bleeding on the living room floor.

"The door is open." Olivia heard Don's voice before she could knock on the door. Opening the wood door, she stepped into her boss's office and waited.

"Dani said you wanted to see me about our case." The said case folder was gripped in her left hand and the right toyed with her jacket.

Don gave her a sad smile. "Have a seat, Liv." When she shook her head no, he nodded and continued. "I suppose you know that I didn't call you in here to talk about the case. I'm sure you looked at it and you know that the case is a basic one." He sighed, dreading what he had to say next. "Huang wants to talk to you, Olivia. About Elliot."

Olivia was livid, but she didn't show it. "He wants me to talk about Elliot?" She leaned on Don's desk, looking him into his eyes as if she were interrogating a suspect, her voice calm and even. "Tell me, Don, what is there to talk about? He was my partner for 8 years! We knew each other better than anyone else did. Hell, I knew him better than his wife did, Don." Her eyes were sad as she continued softly. "I know Huang thinks that talking about this will help, but I fail to see how it can."

She turned to stalk out of the office when Don spoke again. "It's mandatory. If you don't go, I'll have to put you on desk duty." He sighed when she whirled around angrily. "Liv, I know you don't want to go. But for the sake of your partner…" He ignored the muttered _Elliot was my partner._ "…you need to go. I cannot have you distracted. I need you on top of the game. You are my best detective. I cannot lose you as well."

The fire went out of the fight in Olivia when he said that. She sighed and reluctantly nodded her acceptance. "When?" She nodded when he swallowed and said "this afternoon."

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_Ding dong!_ The mother of the rape victim answered the door. "Hi, I'm Detective Benson and this is Detective Beck." Olivia's avoidance from using the term 'partner' didn't go unnoticed by Dani. "Do you mind if we come in and talk to you about your daughter?"

The woman motioned for the two of them to enter. "Please come in Detectives. Would you like anything to drink?" She nodded when the pair both declined, and studied Olivia. "You look familiar, Olivia, right?"

Olivia was shocked, but didn't show it. "Yes I am. And who are you?"

"8 years ago, my daughter was kidnapped. You and your partner Detective Stabler came and talked to me and eventually brought her back to me." ((AN, this is not based on any episode, just so you know, I figured it would be a good background.)) She looked at Beck confused, as if wondering where the male detective had gone.

Olivia nodded as she remembered the mother, ignoring the confused look directed at Beck. She was older, but still looked the same. "And now she's been kidnapped. Where were you that night?"

Dani broke in. "Your daughter's been kidnapped before? When, where?" The younger detective began to interrogate the mother. The mom seemed startled and disturbed by the sudden mood change from the other detective that she didn't know. She looked to Olivia for help.

Olivia sighed and shook her head at the other detective. "Dani, she is not a suspect. She is as much as a victim as her daughter. Save the interrogation for the perps."

Dani nearly growled at Olivia but refrained. With a curt nod of apology, she walked out to the car. "I'll be waiting." Olivia rolled her eyes and handed the woman her card. "Why don't you give us a call if anything changes?" The woman thanked her and showed her out the door.

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Dani was fuming the entire way back to the station. Finally, she exploded. "How dare you stop me from my job!" She wasn't yelling…yet.

Oliva just kept driving. She was used to verbal explosions from working with Elliot for almost 8 years, so she ignored the other detective. That didn't pacify the younger one. "Benson, I am talking to you!" Beck growled angrily. Olivia sighed; it seemed as if she were doing that a lot with Beck lately.

"Listen, Beck. I know now why Elliot hated to work with you. You have no compassion for the victims or their parents." Olivia's voice was slightly accusing.

Beck gave a short laugh. "Well you are too compassionate. You attach yourself to the vic's because you don't want them to end up like your mother. Yes, I was told about your background. Well let me tell you something, Detective. You need to not care." She paused, and then gave a victorious grin. "That's why I've asked for you to be transferred out of SVU."

Olivia somehow managed to keep the car from swerving off the road.

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"Cragen, did she actually ask to transfer me?" Olivia stood before the captain, staring at him incredulously.

He looked up from the file he was looking at and raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Why?"

"She told me that I was too compassionate and wasn't suited to special victims." Olivia laughed. "I wanted to tell her everything I've seen, done, how mean I've gotten, but I couldn't. It's as if I don't want her to know what I have been through in the past 8 years."

Don smiled at his top detective. "Well, if it gives any comfort, you're not going anywhere. If anyone leaves, it'll be her."

Olivia nodded, suddenly feeling drained, and she still had to face Huang. "Thanks, Cap."

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George Huang's office was immaculately clean for once. He sat in his comfortable chair and motioned for Olivia to sit down. She complied and sat wringing her hands nervously.

"So it's been…4 months since Elliot died." Huang spoke in his soft voice, watching Olivia intently.

"So it has." Olivia didn't want to talk about Elliot with anyone, nor did she want to be skrinked by Huang about how she was feeling. She looked around his office. It was clean and well kept, with little cluttering the walls. She looked at Huang. "I don't want to be here."

Huang smiled. "Most everyone says that, though many come to me voluntarily. Tell me, Olivia, how have you been? And I am not looking for your typical answers of I'm fine. I want the truth." He emphasized truth.

She sighed, knowing that there was no way around it. "Huang, I hurt. I hurt every time I walk into the precinct, every time I see Dani sitting at _his_ desk instead of him. I break every time I see one of his kids when they come to see me, knowing that I'm the only link they have left to him."

Huang nodded, pleased that she was telling him this, but steering the conversation in a different direction. "What do you think about Dani?"

"She's a bitch." Olivia said simply, not offering any more than that.

"How so?" Huang wanted her to keep talking.

Olivia gave a wry grin. "Her attitude towards the people we deal with everyday. She actually told Cragen that I should be transferred out of SVU. She thinks that she knew Elliot. She's always talking about how he was and who he was when she didn't know him. Not like I do." She paused, wincing. "Did." The detective corrected herself sadly.

"Is that it?" Huang's voice was calm, quiet.

"No. When I came back, it felt as if she had replaced me. And I didn't like that. So when she left, I rejoiced. And now, five months later, she's back, only this time as my new partner." Olivia leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms in an unconsciously defiant manner.

"What is working with her like?" His voice was still quiet, searching, wanting to smile at how much like Elliot she really was.

Olivia laughed softly. "It's like working with a female version of Elliot. You know, anger problems, stern, though she is harsher towards the vics. But she's moodier, if you can believe that. She's gone through more mood swings in the past two months than he did in all 8 years that I knew him." She paused. "I miss it, Huang. I miss his zealous anger towards the perps. I miss his compassion for the vics, and I miss how we worked together, how we could read each other so well. But most of all, I miss him. I miss his companionship. I miss talking with him after a hard case. I even miss hearing his wife yelling at him over the phone when I had to call him to pull him to yet another case. No one could ever replace him." She gave the psychologist a sad smile before standing and leaving the office.

"I want you to come again, Olivia. We're not done yet." Huang called after her. She made a motion that meant that she understood and she would come back, he knew that she would.

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With Olivia and Dani gone on their case, Fin and Munch were working in almost silence, with only the tap from their keyboards interrupted the

"Dani's a spy from Russia." Munch announced suddenly, slapping a hand on his desk.

Fin groaned and looked up from his paperwork. "Munch, ya never stop, do ya?"

"Stop what?" Munch asked, confused.

"Your conspiracy theories."

"How many times must I say, they are not conspiracies!"

"Yea, and I'm da queen of England!"

"I knew it! I knew something was strange about you!"

Fin buried his face in his hands to try and drown out Munch going on about how Fin was the queen of England and how he had suspected it all along. "Dis is gonna be a long day."

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Olivia sat in the driver's seat of the cop car and waited for the perp to show his face. She was thinking about her conversation with Huang earlier that afternoon. Dani was watching the right side of the street silently. The silence crept around the pair and both were feeling more and more uncomfortable. Dani couldn't handle the silence. "How long were you two partners, Liv?"

Olivia didn't need to know who she was talking about. "8 years." She looked over at Dani, who in turn looked at her. "He was my best friend. And don't call me Liv." She kept eye contact for a second before turning and scanning the street once more.

Dani sighed and tried again. "I'm sorry about what happened. He was a good cop." More silence from Olivia. "My time working with him was an experience. He's a high strung man."

Olivia clenched her jaw to keep from either screaming or crying. "He wasn't a 'good' cop. He was the best. And he wasn't high strung. He was Elliot. That's what made him who he was." She looked at Dani again. "You didn't know him like I did. So you worked with him for 6 weeks. Big deal. When you reach the 8 year mark, call me." She turned away again, hoping that Dani would get the hint.

Dani did, and continued to scan her side of the street. "There, that's him." Olivia nodded, and they both jumped out of the car, guns drawn. "Police! On the ground!"

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A/N: This will be a Christmas story. Incase you didn't catch it, the story starts around Thanksgiving. It will be EO, even if it doesn't seem like it now. I love my random plot lines!

_Next on Christmas in New York:_

Olivia opened her apartment door and was greeted with complete darkness. Tossing her keys on her counter, she flipped the lights on to find someone she never expected to see again sleeping on her couch. The figure sat up and rubbed its eyes and smiled when it saw Olivia. Olivia gasped and nearly fell in shock.

_Someone returns to the 16th precinct family! Who will it be? Will it be Alex? Elliot? Richard White? Stay tuned to find out! Remember, lots of reviews mean faster updates. I need encouragement to update!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope….looks around….not mine. I don't even own any of the seasons! sob! They're too expensive… And for all you EO fans, I'm very much an EO fan! So no worries, it will come, be it flashbacks or present. That's the beauty of fan fiction! You never know what will happen….mwahahaha!

Chapter 2

Olivia circled the desk, the perp watching her calmly. "Why am I here, Detective?" He leaned back in the chair, his handcuffed arms resting on top of his head.

The detective leaned against the wall, a half smile on her face. "I think you know, Zane." When he remained silent with a smirk on his face she continued. "Rape and murder of 16 year old Dana Wright." She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward, her mouth slightly open before she spoke again. "Why'd you do it, Zane?"

"I didn't."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh really, because your DNA is written all over her insides." Olivia smirked at his astonished look before glaring at the man that just barged into the interrogation room.

"My client will not answer any more questions."

Olivia pursed her lips and glared at the lawyer before stalking out of the room. "Good luck trying to coerce your way out of this one, Zane."

"Benson, my office!" Don barked from across the precinct. She ignored the satisfied smirk in Dani's eyes as she took Olivia's place at the window.

As soon as Liv was inside his office, he spoke again. "I tried to transfer her out, but no one else is available. I'm sorry, Liv." At her forlorn expression, he smiled a little and winked. "Sorry, Benson." He said loudly as they left his office so Dani could hear him. "They won't transfer you. Something about the incompetence of one of the other detectives and they were forced to keep you around."

Ah, the joys of seeing priceless looks cross the face of someone you utterly despise.

Olivia smiled at the captain. "Thanks, Don." She stage whispered. "That made my day." She turned around and went back to her spot at the window. "Cap said that he needed you in his office." A lie, but Dani didn't need to know that. Cragen was creative, he'd think of something to do with her.

The lawyer came out of the room 10 minutes later, scowling. "I'll see you in court. Go ahead and interrogate him." Zane was still sitting at the table, same self satisfied smirk on his face. Olivia reentered the room, refraining a smile when she heard the lawyer grumble as he went down the hall about the idiocy of the clients he was forced to work with.

"So, your lawyer didn't seem too happy with you."

"I confessed."

Olivia looked at him with a glance that Elliot had called her perp glance. It was the one where she seemed to be disbelieving and intimidating at the same time. "Oh really? And just what did you confess?" She pushed the record button on the recorder in front of her.

Zane's smile never left his face and his eyes never left Olivia's as he leaned towards the hidden microphone and said loudly and clearly, "I raped and killed Dana Wright. I took each article of clothing off with a knife, leaving cuts on her body. She was crying and begging me to stop. Of course, that just made me work slower and harsher. I think by the time I had finished raping her, she wanted it. I know that I enjoyed it, and I would do it again in an instant. Is that enough for you, Detective?"

Two days later, Zane was sentenced to life in prison with no parole.

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"Casey!"

The woman in question turned around to find the owner of the voice running down the hall towards her. "Hello, Olivia."

The detective stopped beside the ADA and breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath. "Cragen wanted me to come and tell you good job. And that you should join us on our party to get coffee before the next case comes in." Liv knew that Casey would never pass up a chance to get _real_ coffee, but also knew that she felt uncomfortable around the SVU family.

True to form, Casey started to decline but Olivia broke in. "Case, you are just as much a part of the family as any one of us. The coffee break is for all of us, as well as a party for winning the case. I really want you to come."

Casey was surprised at Olivia's declaration, but flattered. "Sure, I'll come. Just let me put my briefcase away in my office and grab my coat. Where should I meet you?"

"How about I just come with you, if that's alright with you."

Casey nodded, smiling.

"Okay."

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The 16th precinct was waiting for Casey and Olivia to show up and when they did, a round of applause greeted the pair.

"Congratulations on winning the case, Casey!" Don's voice sounded over the applause.

"Whoop whoop!" That was John.

"You da man!" Yes, Fin did just call her a man. Oh well.

"Good job." Everyone glanced at Dani, surprised, but not pausing in the cheering.

Olivia grinned at Casey. "See? You are as much a part of the SVU family as I am." She leaned in and in a stage whispersaid, "and more so than Dani ever will be!"

Casey tried not to cry. "Thanks, guys. I needed that. My boss has been giving me crap the past few weeks." At the chorus of 'I know's', she laughed. "Yes, I know. He's always giving me crap."

"Cut the chit-chat, guys." Cragen called out. "Lets get coffee."

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"Starbucks?" Olivia laughed. "Trust the Captain to choose a cliché place."

Don gave her a look that said 'hey! I'm still the captain here!' and had the gall to glare at her when she laughed at him.

Casey just grinned. "Well, its better than any office coffee, so I'd say forget cliché's and just get something warm to drink! It's cold out here."

Fin had to literally push Munch in, with the detective protesting the whole time about how Starbucks was a all a government conspiracy to steal money from hard working citizens with their over-priced coffee. Olivia and Don shared a good laugh about that one with Fin glaring at the two as if saying _help me guys, this isn't funny!_

The small group walked into the coffee shop, the bells on the door tinkling and were greeted with the wondrerous aroma of coffee and Christmas music.

Each got what they most desired and if anyone had cared, they would've laughed at what each got. Fin's coffee was straight, no sugar or creamer. Munch grinned as he got his chocolate, saying that coffee was a conspiracy. A white chocolate mocha went to Olivia, and Dani got Chai. Don took his carmel mocha and Casey took her peperment coffee with glee. It's amusing how the drink seems to match the personality.

Laughter was abundant as each teased the other about their choice of drink, with Munch defending his position about the conspiracy of coffee and Don threating to take Munch's chocolate and dumping down his shirt if he didn't stop blabbering on about conspiracies.

It was a joyus group that had gone to coffee that afternoon, and even Olivia was happy, Elliot momentarily forgotten. However, all good things must come to an end.

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"Bye Casey, have a good evening." Munch, Fin, Olivia and Dani were walking back to the cars. Dani was, as usual, quiet while the other three were laughing and having a great time.

Munch and Fin each slung an arm over Olivia's shoulders. "Whaddya say to a party at my apartment?" Munch waggled his eye brows and Olivia giggled.

"Man, why would she wanna come ta your apartment?" Fin snorted. "It's a pigsty, man!"

Before Munch could give a retort about the conspiracies of a clean house, Olivia broke in. "Actually, guys, I'm going to go back to the precinct. I have some paperwork to finish." An almost truth. The truth was, yes she did have paperwork, but with all the fun that the afternoon had provided, towards the end of the outing, her mind had turned to Elliot and how much fun he would've had with the gang.

The others nodded knowingly, well, Munch and Fin did. The guys knew that she was missing Elliot. Dani just rolled her eyes. "You are such a workaholic, Olivia."

Olivia refrained from retorting with a 'you don't work enough, so that's why I work so much' and instead smiled and spoke with an overly sweet voice. "Thanks for caring, Dani."

Another point for Olivia for making a priceless look cros the enemy's face!

No one saw Don sigh as Olivia drove off, get in his car, and follow her to the office.

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_You would've had fun this afternoon, El._

Flashback

"Whats your favorite vacation spot, Liv?" Elliot looked up suddenly from his paperwork and cocked his head, watching his partner intently.

"The beach. I don't know, El." Olivia was slightly miffed that he was interrupting her concentration, but answered anyway before going back to work.

"What about your favorite flower?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Just curious. What, I can't know about my partner?"

She sighed. "Lilies. Can I go back to work now?"

"So what's your favorite coffee?"

The detective in question looked up. "White chocolate mocha. What's with the interrogation?"

Elliot tried to look innocent. "Umm…Munch wants to know?"

Liv smirked. "Nice try, Stabler. Now let me finish these reports!"

The clicking of keyboards filled the room for another five mintues before Elliot stood up and announced that he was going to take a short break and that he'd be back in 10. The other three detectives just nodded as he left.

True to word, he returned in ten minutes, but he wasn't empty handed. At the sound of something being put on her desk, Olivia looked up. On the desk sat a steaming cup of white chocolate mocha and a single lily. She looked over at Elliot who was suddenly obessed with his paperwork. He glanced up and winked before sticking his nose back into the folder.

Olivia just smiled and fingered the lily gently. _What a sweet partner!_

6 months later, she was forced into undercover work for the FBI.

End Flashback

She tried to keep the tears in, but a couple trickled out. "Elliot, what am I doing to myself?" She whispered, her eyes unfocused, staring at the screen in front of her.

The disheartened detective rubbed her eyes before resuming typing. She had to finish these reports before she could head home. She was so intent on finishing that she failed to hear a door open and close, or the footsteps headed her way.

"Olivia?"

The detective jumped. "Oh, Don. You startled me." She motioned towards her computer. "I'll be out as soon as I finish."

Don shook his head and turned off her screen. "Save the document, Liv, and then go home. Everyone else has gone home. Stop working yourself to the ground. The report will be here in the morning." He looked at his watch. "Its 10 o'clock! I know you don't want to, but let's go home."

Olivia didn't protest as the captain pulled her out of her seat and handed her her jacket. "Thanks, Cap." He locked up the place as Olivia waited by the door.

They walked to their separate cars and, true to his word, Don followed Olivia home. He waited until she unlocked the downstairs door and waved at him. He smiled slightly and waved back before driving off, worried about her. He had seen the tear tracks that ran down her cheeks, and knew that they were shed for Elliot. _What ever God is out there, help her._

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Olivia trudged up her stairs to her apartment. She would never admit it, but she was glad that Don had escorted her home. It ment more to her than anyone would know. She opened her apartment door and was greeted with complete darkness. Tossing her keys on her counter, she flipped the lights on to find someone she never expected to see again sleeping on her couch. The figure sat up and rubbed its eyes and smiled when it saw Olivia.

Olivia gasped and nearly fell in shock. "Alex?"

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Dun dun dun! Betcha weren't expecting that!

So, did any one else not like tonights episode? Olivia was on for like 30 seconds AND didn't want to see Elliot. If you ask me, she's avoiding him because she suspects about Dani. Hmmmm…….

Sorry that it wasn't Elliot. Keep up the reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this again? Sigh….no, it's not mine. If it was, Olivia would've said hi to Elliot instead of taking the easy way out and leaving out the back. Stupid female emotions. Anywhoo, this one is mostly a flashback.

_Announcers' voice. _"Previous, on SVU…"

_Ching ching!_

She opened her apartment door and was greeted with complete darkness. Tossing her keys on her counter, she flipped the lights on to find someone she never expected to see again sleeping on her couch. The figure sat up and rubbed its eyes and smiled when it saw Olivia.

Olivia gasped and nearly fell in shock. "Alex?"

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"In New York City, sexually based offences are considered especially heinous. The dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories." (Did I get it right??)

_Ching ching! Wherever Olivia's apartment is, 10:30 pm_ (...and I'm done with that)

Alex jumped up and grabbed Olivia's arm before the detective collapsed in shock. "Hello, Liv."

She couldn't speak. All she could do was gape. She finally got out one word. "How?"

Alex smiled sadly. "Don called me and told me about Elliot. I received permission to come and see you. I'm sorry it took me so long to com, Olivia."

The two women embraced each other. "Alex, I am so glad you are here." Olivia tried not to cry, despite the fact that she knew that Alex knew that she wanted to.

"You can cry if you want to, Liv." Alex knew her friend well enough to know that she wanted to.

Olivia shook her head. "No, I've shed enough tears for the evening. How long are you back for?"

Alex sighed and sat back down on the couch. "Just tonight. I have to leave in the morning, and I'll probably be gone before you wake up again. I'm technically not supposed to be here, but they made a small exception for me since I knew Elliot, too."

The detective eyed the former ADA skeptically. "They aren't aware that you are breaking protocol by being here, are they?" A sheepish grin from Alex told Olivia all she needed to know.

People who where still awake were wondering what was going on in the apartment upstairs that caused the loud laughter that resounded through the building.

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Despite Alex's declaration about leaving before Olivia woke up, it was hard to do that when neither of the girls went to sleep. Instead, Olivia had changed into Elliot's sweatpants and her grey NYPD shirt, and then they stayed up and talked about everything that had happened since Alex had gone into WWP. Then, around dawn, Alex started asking about Elliot.

"So how have you _really_ been, Liv?"

"As well as I can be." Olivia shrugged.

Alex probed deeper. "As well as you could be with Elliot gone, you mean?"

Olivia pushed the bolt of anger and sadness she felt away and lowered her head. "Yeah." She whispered sadly.

The two sat in uncomfortable silence before Liv spoke again. "I miss him, Alex." Their eyes met, one sad, the other sympathetic. "He was passionate about everything. He was so happy when he saw me again."

Flashback

"Stabler." _Hmm, he sounds relieved to be getting a call. _Cragen thought amused. _He must be out with Dani._

"Elliot, its Don. I need you to come to the precinct." He smirked at Olivia who was grinning from her seat in the plush chair.

A sigh from the other end of the line. "Yeah, cap. I'll be there." _Click_

"So what made you change your mind, Liv?" Cragen wanted to know.

"I decided that no matter if he liked her or not, there was no way that I was letting that woman take my place as the best partner for Elliot. He can date her, I don't care about that," at that Cragen gave her a strange look, "but she cannot take my place as his partner. We're the dynamic duo." Olivia grinned. Even if it didn't quite reach her eyes, it was genuine.

Meanwhile, back at Elliot

Hanging up the phone, he shrugged. "Cap wants me back. I'll drop you off at home."

The pair had been on a 'date'. Well, Dani took it as a date. All Elliot knew was that he regretted that drunken kiss a week earlier. _Okay, make out session. Sorry, Liv. You'd better come back soon._

Strolling into the precinct, Elliot started off towards Don's office. "Hello, Liv." He said automatically. It wasn't until he was at the door of Cragen's office that he realized what he said. "Olivia?"

And there she was. Olivia was sitting at Dani's desk as if she had never left. "Elliot." She said calmly, hiding the turmoil she felt inside.

Elliot had never moved faster. Almost as soon as he had realized who was sitting at the desk, he had grabbed her into a hug. "How long have you been back?"

Olivia pulled back from the hug. "A week." She said quietly, not meeting his eyes. She didn't want to see the hurt look that was bound to cross his handsome face.

Elliot felt his stomach drop. _She's been back for a week and never bothered to tell me?_ "Did the captain know?"

"Yeah. I told him not to tell you that I was back." She met his eyes then, her own apologetic. "I saw you with Dani and convinced myself that I had been replaced." She held her hand up when Elliot started to sputter, protesting. "Let me finish. I told Cragen that I wasn't ready to come back. It took me a week to realize that I would never be happy if I wasn't working. More importantly, I wouldn't be happy unless I was working with you. I don't care what you do with Dani outside of work, but I want to work with you again. I miss us being the 'dynamic duo.'"

Elliot furrowed his brow. "You saw me with Dani?" Realization hit him. "Oh, after I was done interrogating Jason, or whatever his name was." His eyes widened. "That's who was in the captain's office! I thought I saw someone at the door, but didn't think about it because of the case. That was you."

Liv sighed. "I'm sorry, El. I couldn't face you yet. Not only had I left without saying good bye or warning, I hung up on you when you got on the phone. I couldn't blow my cover, which is why I hung up. But when I get back and want to see you, I see you with her. And realized that I wasn't needed here any more."

"But you are, Liv!" Elliot protested. "Dani's a good cop. She really is. But she's not you. She can't read my like you can. And if you think working with me is tough, try working with her. She's impulsive. Very impulsive. For a while, she showed no compassion for the vics, but now she's too into the vics. She takes every case on herself and dwells on it. I'm not the dynamic duo without you, Liv. And we both know what would happen if Munch and Fin tried to replace us!"

The pair shared a laugh and Elliot sat at his desk. They watched each other for a moment, before going to work, Elliot going over his case files, and Olivia enjoying the familurarity of each movement the other made. Neither noticed Dani watching them, jealouse of the bond the two obviously shared, before she left the precinct once more.

Meanwhile, Don Cragen was laughing silently to himself. His two best detectives were reunited at last.

End Flashback

Olivia was sobbing by the time she was done with the story. Alex knew that there was more, there had to be with those two, but said nothing. She just held her friend as she let out all the pain she had been feeling the past 4 weeks. Finally, after about 10 minutes, Olivia was ready to continue.

"Sorry about that. Anyway, Elliot started to go through his case files…"

Flashback

"Where is that damn folder?!" Elliot was muttering to himself as Olivia just sat there and laughed at him. He glared at her playfully. "If you're going to sit there, you could at least help!"

Olivia just smirked at him. "And why should I do that?"

"Awww, c'mon, Liv! Help me here!"

"Sorry, no can do. Cap gave me a new case. Said I should work on it with you." A hidden smile was in her eyes but Elliot didn't catch it.

"What? Hand it over, Benson."

"Why should I, Stabler?" She teased him, enjoying the banter. But before he could answer, Dani stormed into the precinct.

"Elliot." She nodded in greeting. "Detective Benson, I assume." She didn't wait for Olivia to answer before rushing into Cragen's office.

The pair looked at each other in shock. "She seemed upset." Elliot muttered, confused.

Olivia shrugged knowingly. "Could have something to do with this." She waved the folder in her hand tauntingly.

Elliot tried to grab it out of her hand but she pulled it back. "Oh no you don't! Whats the magic word?" She laughed when he pulled a five year old look and lisped 'pweese!'.

"Fine, you big baby. Now what do you say?"

"Tank oo!" He was still baby talking and was hit with a wad of paper. "What was that for?"

Olivia grinned. "For acting like a 2 year old. Now read the case."

"That was what I was trying to do, Olivia, before you threw that ball at me!"

They both quieted down as Elliot started to read the file. Liv tried not to laugh at the look that crossed his face. "You're being transferred here? Dani's out?"

She met his eyes. "Yup. Don pulled some strings, and well, here I am!"

The slam of a door interupted their conversation. "I can't believe it!" Dani sputtered. "I'm being transferred and he won't tell me who is replacing me!"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. Elliot just stared at her. She moved her eyes back and forth on the two of them. "What?" Liv moved out of the way so Dani could sit down and start taking her stuff off of what was now, unknown to Dani, Liv's desk. Dani's few items out of the way, she looked at Elliot expectantly.

He sighed and stood up. "I'll be back, Olivia." When Dani couldn't see his face, he crossed his eyes and stuck his tounge out.

Liv swallowed a giggle and waved to Dani. "Nice to meet you." Her eyebrows rose at the scowl she recieved in return.

Elliot gave Olivia a _help me look_ as Dani pulled him out of the door.

Olivia decided to busy herself setting her desk back up. Walking over to Cragen's office, she knocked. "Don? Can I get my box?" She opened the door to see her captain on the phone. He waved at her to come in and finished his conversation on the phone.

"That was the FBI. They said something about how glad they were that you had been with them…"

Olivia broke in. "Blah blah. I drove them nuts, and they know it." The two shared a grin. "I'm going to set my desk back up." She grabbed the box and started to leave. "Oh, and by the way, thanks Don."

"You're welcome, Liv."

SVUSVUSVUSVU (still flashback form)

Olivia sat back with a smile as she surveyed her work. A picture of her and her mom sat on her desk as well as a picture of her the gang from the Christmas party from a year ago. Her pens and other such necessities were back in the top drawer, and her computer was back to being HER computer. A loud bang brought her head to the door.

Elliot was leaning against the door, breathing hard. A panicked look was on his face and he seemed to be looking for a place to hide. Olivia motioned for him to run to the interrogation room and hide. The moment he did, the door flung open again and a very angry Dani stormed back into the precinct.

"Where is he?"

"Who?" Olivia decided to play dumb.

"You know who! Elliot! That jackass!"

Olivia was taken back by the harsh words, but she kept her cool. "He said something about going to the roof. Check there." She had barely gotten the words out and Dani was speed walking towards the stairs. Olivia ran and grabbed Elliot from the room and as they were trying to leave, Don stopped them.

"What's going on?"

"Dani." They replied in unison.

He nodded. "I'll cover for you. Go!"

Dani never found the pair. And both Don and Olivia were in stitches when Elliot told them the story.

"She pulled me out of the door, and the whole way down the elevator kept trying to kiss me. She was saying 'Oh, Elliot! I can't believe that we're being separated!'"

Elliot made a face at the two who were holding onto each other, laughing hard. "I told her that it was over, that our 'relationship' had never been a romantically involved one. Of course, when I said that, she had just left the elevator and I closed the doors and came back up here. I swear that I could hear her yelling all the way up that stupid shaft. Olivia told me to go hide and then sent Dani up to the roof."

Olivia broke in, tears streaming down her face. "And after you told us that you would cover for us, we went outside. She was on the roof already and she saw us. Well, she _saw_ us, but didn't know that it _was_ us. She just cursed happy couples using us as an example. The moment she left the roof, we hid in my car because she has no clue as to what that looks like. She came out a few minutes later and stormed right by us, muttering about how unfair life is. That's when we came back in here."

Don wiped his eyes. "So that explains her pissed off mood as she told me to go to hell. I was wondering what on earth I had done to her."

"You transferred her from Elliot/me." The dynamic duo was at it again.

Don just smiled. "I sure made the right choice in sending her off. You two always were in sync with each other."

End flashback

Both Alex and Olivia were laughing at this point. "Munch and Fin were out on a case, or they would've been in on it as well." Olivia chortled.

"She sounds like a character." Alex managed to get out.

"She is a live wire, one that's sitting in a puddle of water."

The girls looked at each other and laughed again. Olivia quieted down a little. "Do you want to hear more?"

The mood sobered down quickly. "Liv, I already know how he…um…died. You don't have to go over that."

The detective smiled slightly, tears coming again. "Thanks, Alex." She yawned. "Wow, it's already 7. I have to be at the precinct at 8. You sure you don't want to say hi to Munch and Fin?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. My bosses are already going to have my ass for doing this. But it was worth it."

Olivia reached over and hugged her friend. "It was indeed. Call me sometime."

"Will do, Liv."

SVUSVUSVUSVU

A/N: So Alex came back just to leave again. The question remains…what happened to Elliot? You want to know? I need 5 reviews for this chapter! Yes, 5 more reviews! I'm selfish, I know. smirk The more reviews, the sooner you people's find out what happened to Elliot.

Plus, if anyone has any ideas for me, let me know. I'd love to hear them. Just don't be offended if I don't use them. I just need some ideas. Much love!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: NOT. MINE. PERIOD.

A/N: Ah, the much awaited chapter. Will it go the way you want it to? Read and find out!

A note to obsessedwithstabler: I will put your idea in, just maybe not in the way that you think….

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

Olivia showed up at the precinct 15 minutes early, despite the hurried rush to take a shower and dress. She fidgeted as she waited for the elevator to reach the floor. As soon as the door opened, she was out and looking for Don.

She found him in his office. "Don, thank you."

He looked up, slightly confused.

"For escorting me home last night."

He smiled. "You're welcome, Liv." He studied her face. "Something happened last night. You look as if you got no sleep."

"I didn't." She agreed with a hint of a smile.

Cragen was confused, and then recalled a conversation he had had with a certain former ADA. "You saw Alex last night, didn't you?"

Olivia just smiled and left his office.

_Good for you, Alex. I had hoped you that you would go see her._

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

Olivia collapsed at her desk. She was all alone in the precinct except for Don being in his office. A note was stuck to her computer screen. _You have another appointment with Huang. –Don_

She sighed. _Yay for another mental shakedown from New York's finest psychologist. _Just what she needed to top this day off. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd discover that a root canal was in order and that the dentist had run out of Novocain. _Sarcastic much?_ She questioned herself. _Duh._ She sighed. _ Oh well, time to see if I can effectively evade all uncomfortable questions from Huang._

She looked at the clock. _I got a few minutes._ Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a book, _The Da Vinchi Code_.

_Let's solve this mystery, shall we?_ Olivia thought to herself, opening the book to the marker and resuming her reading.

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

_George Huang, FBI psychologist._ Olivia read the sign that graced his door and made a face. _Here I go again. It's dinner time for the head wolf._

"Hello Olivia." As usual, the office was clean except that his desk today was cluttered with papers.

_And there he is, the head chef of grilling._ "Hello, Huang. What's on the menu today? A trip down memory lane? Or perhaps some grave digging. Or even spring cleaning of the closets!" She feigned excitement.

Huang just smiled his calm _I'm being patient_ smile. "That's all up to you, Olivia." He sat there waiting for her to take a seat.

She did finally, and toyed with the arm rests as she leaned back and watched Huang. The silence hung like a thick, uncomfortable blanket over them. Finally, Olivia couldn't stand it any longer.

"I saw Alex last night. She was asleep on my couch when I got back to my apartment." Huang was surprised but nodded his approval for her to continue. "We talked all through the night. She asked me about my time in Oregon, and I asked about her life in the WPP. She finally hit the question that I didn't want to answer."

"And what question was that, Olivia?" Huang asked when she didn't continue.

She sighed and looked down. "'How are you _really_, Olivia?' How was I supposed to answer that?" She gave a humorless laugh. "I answered truthfully, and somehow got to telling her about the first day I saw Elliot, about a week after I got back."

Huang nodded, his fingertips touching each other. "I'm sure that was very therapeutic. How did you feel after telling her the story?"

Olivia hated that question, _and how did that make you feel_ but answered it anyway. "I was crying, of course. But we were also laughing. You remember Elliot and I talking about how we got rid of Dani by hiding him in the interrogation room." When Huang nodded with the hint of a grin that he did indeed remember, she continued. "Well, Cragen gave us all the rest of the day off, saying that if he needed us, he'd call…"

**Flashback** (yes, it's another one)

Elliot was shocked. "Can you believe that Cap gave us the rest of the day off?"

Olivia, Elliot, Fin, and Munch were all exiting the precinct together and were wondering what to do with their free time.

"That was strange." Munch commented, but was interrupted by three other voices chorusing together _it's not a conspiracy, Munch!_ "Fine, fine!" He muttered, defeated momentarily. Then he brightened up. "Hey, there's a carnival at Central Park this month! What do you say we go and liven up their party?"

The three others just gave him weird looks, Elliot with a stunned expression, Fin with a _what the hell_ expression, and Olivia with a raised eyebrow. They turned to each other and all shrugged.

"Why not?" Olivia asked. "It's not like we have anything else to do with our time."

"It's settled then!" Munch cheered. "To the carnival!"

**End Flashback**

Huang shifted in his seat. "What happened at the carnival?"

Olivia glared at him. "I'm getting to that. Be patient!"

He held his hand out in surrender. "Apologies. Please continue."

**Flashback** (yup)

"Please tell me we aren't going to the carnival that I took my _kids_ to last week!" Elliot moaned as they came in sight of the carnival.

"Shut up, Elliot!" Olivia smacked his arm before looping her arm through his. "Besides, I've never been to a carnival before!"

The three men stared at her in disbelief. "No way." Both Fin and Munch gasped.

Olivia just rolled her eyes. "Guys, it's not like I was deprived." Blank stares greeted her. "I wasn't!" She received more blank stares, although now they were laced with skepticism. "Okay, fine! So I was deprived! Nothing can be done about it now."

"C'mon guys. It's time we show Detective Benson here how to have fun!" Elliot said slowly, a grin crossing his face.

Why did Olivia suddenly feel slightly worried at the gleeful look that crossed her partner's face?

SVUSVU…still in flashback form though…

"So what is the point of this game again?" Olivia was staring at the rows of bottles and rings in confusion.

"Toss the rings. Hence the name 'ring toss.' Ouch! Liv!" Elliot rubbed the spot where she had hit him, and glared at her playfully.

"I'm confused as to the POINT, not the objective, El!" Olivia snapped, and then shook her head. "Sorry, just a bit stressed out still, I suppose."

Elliot just wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side. "That's what I'm here for, to relieve your stress." He released her and nodded at the booth keeper his apology for bothering him. Liv grinned at El and the pair walked off.

Meandering through the crowds, Olivia was trying to take in everything. "There are so many people!" She exclaimed, dodging around a kid running from another. She could hear the mom yelling after them. The little girl tripped and went flying.

The boy chasing her stopped and looked horrified. "Kate, I'm sorry!" The little boy went running to his sister.

Kate looked up from her sudden stop on the pavement and blinked a few times before looking back at the blood seeping through her skirt. "It's okay, Matt. It's just a little bit of blood." But the tremor of the lips told Olivia and Elliot that she was hurting.

Olivia knelt down beside the little girl, Kate. "Hello there, Kate. I'm Olivia."

The girl smiled at her. "Hi! I'm Kate and I'm 6 years old! That's my brother. He's Matt and he's only 3. But I watch out for him." The little boy in question was still standing wide eyed at his sister.

Smiling, the detective bent her head to be eye level with the girl. "Can I see your knee?" When Kate nodded, Olivia pulled the skirt up enough to see the damage. "El, can I have my bag?" Having had the bag handed to her, she brought out a water bottle, a clean bandana, and a Band-Aid. Olivia began to tell Kate and Matt about her job, leaving out the rape victims. She then proceeded to rinse, dry, and cover the wound.

Elliot just watched her interact with the children. _She'd make a great mother_ was the thought running through his head.

The mother stood behind Elliot. "Excuse me; can I have my children back?" Her voice wasn't stern; it was said in more of a joking manner. Olivia jumped up, Kate bouncing up with her.

"Hi, Mama! This is Olivia! She's a cop! She catches the badguys!"

_Does that little girl's energy never end?_ Olivia wondered, amazed.

The mother smiled her thanks as she led her jabbering daughter and her tired son away.

Olivia sighed. _Those kids are adorable._ She didn't know that almost the same thoughts were running through Elliot's as well, only with him, he couldn't stop the thought of having a little girl that looked just like Olivia and a little boy that had his eyes.

Their eyes met, Olivia's filled with joy, and Elliot's with tenderness. Olivia refused to think that it could be love.

Instead of talking, Elliot just reached over and laced his fingers with hers and they began to walk again, this time a bit closer than before.

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

Olivia's voice broke. "That was the first time either of us admitted that there might be something more to us." She looked up to meet Huang's eyes, afraid that pity would be shining through.

Instead, Huang's eyes were filled with compassion.

"I am very sorry, Olivia." Huang's heart was breaking at the sight of this strong detective crying. "What else happened that day?"

She sighed. "Well, we continued to wander, wondering where John and Fin and run off too…

**Flashback**

Unbeknownst to either Olivia or Elliot, Munch and Fin were trailing them.

"I'm telling you, there is nothing going on between them, Munch!" Fin was insistent.

"And I'm telling you there is. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"Yeah, and you would know about that, seeing as you haven't been laid in God knows how long." Fin muttered, not liking having to spy on the other detectives.

"Look!" Munch pointed. "Liv's helping a little girl."

"Awww." Fin exclaimed sarcastically. "Her motherly instincts DO show through!"

They watched her interact with the child before the mother came and took the two kids away. Olivia and Elliot were looking at each other before Elliot took her hand and led her off.

Munch and Fin looked at each other in shock. "20 bucks says they kiss before we leave the carnival." Fin said.

"40 dollars. And I say after we meet Don for dinner."

The two men shook on it. "Deal!"

They kept following the pair through the carnival, each wanting to win the bet.

SVUSVU in flashback form

"Let's go on the Ferris wheel, El." Liv said softly, leaning her head on his shoulder. She wanted to keep the moment between them and make it last as long as she could.

He smiled at the dark haired beauty and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, Liv." His hand tightened on hers slightly. He never wanted to let her go.

They never heard the "you so owe me!" and the reply "that doesn't count!"

Luckily for them, the line for the Ferris wheel was rather short, and in 10 minutes, they were slowly making their way to the top, with the wheel stopping every 10 seconds to let another group of passengers on.

By this time, Elliot had moved his hand from hers to placing his arm protectively around her shoulders. Her hand had made its way to his knee and she maneuvered herself so that she was leaning on his shoulder once more. He smiled down at her and wrapped the other arm around her so that he was hugging her against his chest. Looking out over the city, he sighed. "I love you, my Liv." He whispered, looking back down into her eyes.

Olivia looked back up at him, unshed tears filling her eyes. "Oh, El. I love you too."

And down below, with our other two favorite detectives, one was paying the other 40 bucks, shoving the binoculars back into his bag. "Man, that was cheap."

**End flashback**

Olivia shook her head, the tears streaming down her face. "I don't think that I could handle much more." She looked around, trying to find a way to escape. There was none.

Huang took pity on her. "Go, Olivia. Same time tomorrow unless something comes up, which I understand is part of the job. But Olivia." She paused from her hasty retreat. "Come back."

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

All Olivia wanted to do was collapse in her chair and sleep. She was emotionally drained. She stopped suddenly when she saw her desk.

"Okay, guys. What's going on?" Olivia stared in shock at the arrangement of lilies on her desk that weren't there when she went in to talk to Huang. Both Munch and Fin shrugged.

"They were here when we got here." Fin announced, just as perplexed as Olivia.

Munch broke in. "Is there a card?"

Liv parted the flowers carefully, extracting the card. "Yeah." Opening it she paled considerably. "It can't be!"

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

HAHAHAHA!!! ANOTHER CLIFFY! I am SO evil! And I absolutely LOVE it!!! Who is it this time? Will it finally be Elliot? Or has Richard White come back to haunt our lovely detective? You know how to find out! This time I want at least 10 more reviews! I love reviews; they are like tasty bits of chocolate! Okay, that was weird. Maybe reviews are just ego boosters. That's it. Boost my ego! Many surprises are in store for our wonderful SVU family. I've already started chapter 5! YAY! And I still love idea's!!

Oh, and I have NO idea if carnivals can be held in Central Park….never been there….I know, I'm sheltered. Give me a break, I'm from Colorado and go to school in Nebraska! Nebraska is a really pretty state, actually. It's just different. You kinda hafta like cornfields…haha!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: NO NOT MINE! He still won't sign it over to me. It could be the death threats he's received about how the season's going so far… Just jokin' all! Enjoy the chapter!

A/N: wow, you guys review fast! I might not be able to keep up with this! Much luv!

BTW, it's November 27 during this chapter and the last.

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

Back and forth, back and forth.

Pause. Stare into the broken mirror.

He hardly recognized himself. His hair was longer, he was thinner, and he had some stubble. He no longer looked like the man he once was.

Resume pacing, add rubbing arms. _Why is it so cold? Oh yeah, couldn't pay the rent._

Pause again, this time to stare out the grimy window to the dawn outside. Snow dusted the metal fire escape.

_It's her birthday._

He knew that he shouldn't have, but he sent it anyway. He held the pad that he had written the note on, crying silent tears.

_What is she doing, right now? Oh, God! How I miss her!_

He sighed, his breath coming out in a small cloud of mist.

SVUSVUSVU

Munch and Fin both leapt to their feet to catch Olivia before she collapsed. "Liv?" Munch searched her face concerned.

She wordlessly held out the note, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. Fin took it and read it out-loud, while Munch continued to hold Olivia.

"My dear Liv,

I hope you will forgive the shock this will hold, but I couldn't let your birthday pass without saying something. Happy birthday! I miss you.

E"

Fin looked up. "E? Meaning Elliot?" She nodded her head, speechless. "But, man, that's impossible! He's gone, I watched him die!"

Olivia broke in. "We all did, Fin. But that" she motioned to the flowers "seems proof that he isn't dead. Either that, or we are all wrong about God."

The three of them went silent, remembering that horrible day.

**Flashback**_and yes, you get to finally know how he died, and find out something else…bwahahaha!_

Richard White had returned. And this time, he was not alone. When Elliot tried to resist him, the accomplice simply clobbered the detective with a metal pipe. When Elliot fell to the ground, the other man kicked him.

"Elliot!" Olivia barely had time to scream his name before a hand was clasped over her mouth.

"Now, now, Detective. I would be quiet, if I were you. You wouldn't want anything to happen to him, now would you?"

Richard White had never forgiven Olivia for what she had done to him, and now she was going to pay. She was going to pay dearly. However, what he didn't know was that both she and Elliot were wired to the outside.

Fin and Munch along with a squad of NYPD were waiting for the captain's signal to go inside. They could hear every word that was spoken, and most of it made them want to hurl.

Elliot moaned in pain. He felt like some of his ribs were broken. He could hear Olivia screaming his name but he couldn't move. _I'm sorry, Liv! I couldn't save you!_ He could hear White's threatening tone and feared his life.

White continued. "Now, what shall I do first? Shall I kill Elliot then rape you? No, not painful enough. He won't get to see you become unworthy of his love. No, the best way is to force him to watch me rape you, and then you can watch me kill him." He had a sick smirk on his face.

Olivia recoiled in disgust and fear. _Cap, why aren't you doing anything?_ Just as she thought that, she heard a welcome sound.

"Police!" In came a stream of cops followed by Munch and Fin. White was furious. Before they could reach him, he took the opportunity to shoot at Elliot, who was struggling to sit up. The detective collapsed, this time with a bead of red growing on his chest.

_Damn it! I knew that I forgot something today. I'm sorry, Olivia._

White was shot from all sides as he shot Elliot and died on the scene.

A bus was called for Elliot and when they arrived, the found a distraught female clinging to the victim and two other detectives trying to console her. "Detective Benson? We need to check on him."

She moved so that they could get at him, the tears staining her cheeks. "He's still breathing! Get him on the stretcher!"

He was moved to the stretcher, and into the bus, and in all the chaos, no one noticed an FBI agent climb into the ambulance with Elliot, nor did they see the other man who had been with Richard run off.

**End Flashback**

Olivia began to pace. "But he's the only one who knew that today was my birthday, and he's the only one I know that signed notes to me as 'E', and he's the only one who knows that lilies are my favorite!" Her voice was becoming higher in pitch and coming out faster.

Don had heard the outburst and had come rushing from his office in time to hear Olivia's explanation. "Calm down, Olivia. You're hyperventilating." His heart broke at the sight of her tear filled eyes.

"Don. Is this some sort of sick joke?"

He took the note and sighed. "Afraid not, Liv." He held it up to the light and nodded. "It is genuinely Elliot's handwriting." He paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Could it be?" He whispered.

The rest of the group stared at their captain. "Cap?" Olivia questioned. "Could it be what?"

"Take a look at the paper, Liv. Where have you seen that emblem before?"

Her eyes widened in recognition. Munch and Fin just gaped at the revelation that their best friend might still be alive.

**Yet another flashback**

Olivia, Fin, Munch, and Don all went together to the hospital, following the ambulance as best they could. But by the time they reached the hospital, Elliot was already inside. They were greeted by a surgeon. "Hello, my name is Dr. Wilson. I was told to look for a group of four. Are you Detectives Benson, Munch, and Tutola (sp?), and Captain Cragen?"

"We are." Don answered for the group. "We are here for Detective Elliot Stabler. How is he?"

The doctor sighed. "I don't know the best way to tell you this. Detective Stabler didn't make it."

Olivia collapsed into Munch's arms. He looked at Don and Fin worriedly. Olivia never passed out.

The doctor offered to take some tests, but knew that she probably only passed out due to the shock of hearing that her best friend and partner was dead.

And he was right. Once she came to, he prescribed sleep and counseling as a cure, though he figured that she probably wouldn't go see a counselor. And he was right. She adamantly refused. _All cops are so stubborn!_

Back at the station

Olivia hadn't stop crying since the doctor told them the news. Once they had reached the station, she escaped into one of the interrogation rooms and curled up in the far corner, sobbing her heart out. She didn't hear the door open and started when Don sat down next to her. She looked at him and collapsed into his arms.

He stared down at the girl he thought of as a daughter and rubbed her back comfortingly. "Shhh, its going to be okay, Liv. We are going to survive." He whispered so she could barely hear him.

She just held him tighter. Nothing would make her believe that everything was going to be alright.

"Tell me he's not gone, Don!" She begged, her fingers almost ripping his shirt she was twisting and clutching it so hard. "Please! Please." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Take me home, Don." She whimpered pitifully.

Don shook his head. "No, you are coming and staying with me. We'll stop by your place and gather some stuff for you, okay?" She nodded and he helped her stand up.

She placed a hand on his arm. "Don? Can we stop by Elliot's apartment first?"

He nodded. "Sure, Liv."

"Thanks."

When they arrived at Elliot's apartment, she went straight to the bedroom while Don waited out in the living room. When she didn't come back, he went back to look for her. He found her sitting on Elliot's bed, staring at what was in her hands. At closer inspection, he realized that she was holding his sweat pants, flannel pants, and a couple of his NYPD shirts.

She looked up as he entered. "Do you think it would be alright if…"

Don interrupted her. "Take all you want, Liv."

She sighed. "I just want him." She held a hand up. "I know, I can't have him. I'll just come back for the rest that I want later."

"C'mon, Liv. Lets go home."

After a quick stop at her apartment to gather enough clothes and necessities for a week, they arrived at the captain's apartment. Don helped Olivia settle onto his couch which happened to fold out into a bed.

**End flashback-**_ there, ya happy now? sob_

Realization dawned on Liv. "The Life Café?" Olivia said. "That's all the way on the other side of town!" (A/N: Sorry, I'm a RENT head as well…grin)

Munch, Fin, and Don were all as flabbergasted as the female detective. "What in blazes is he doing down there?" Don muttered.

Munch looked up slowly. "Actually, the only proof that we had that he was dead was the doctor." They all eyed each other suspiciously.

"And he wouldn't let us see him." Fin added, slowly understanding where Munch was going.

"Munch, for once, you aren't spewing out conspiracies. This one makes sense." Olivia said in a low voice.

The four of them stood there digesting this new revelation when a ding then a bang from the elevator alerted them to Dani's arrival.

"Why the somber faces?" Dani asked, before noticing the flowers. "Who are those for?"

"Me." Olivia said slowly, not wanting Dani to know who they were from.

"Who are they from?"

Fin broke in. "We don't know. We checked."

Munch quickly scrawled out _For Olivia_ on a piece of paper without Dani noticing and handed it to her. Don slid the real note into his pocket.

Dani shrugged. "Aww, how cute. Olivia has a secret admirer." She stared at the group. "Didn't you have a stalker once? Richard White?"

Olivia wanted to laugh. "Dani, he's dead. Remember?"

"Yeah, but his accomplice isn't." She stared at Olivia before turning to Don. His eyes were wide.

The other three detectives exchanged glances. "I think I'm beginning to understand…" Olivia whispered to Munch and Fin. They both nodded.

"I'm going to go check that out." Don spun around and ducked into his office. After a few phone calls to the right people he sighed. _Elliot, till alive, and in the WPP no less. Who would've thought?_ A phone call interrupted his thoughts. He closed his eyes as he heard the other side of the line. "Thank you." The whirr of the fax machine sounded through his office. He shook his head at the picture that came out. _Time to make a new case folder._ He phoned out to the desks. "Yeah, Dani, it's the Captian. Come get this new case."

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"Don just handed me this. There's another victim." Dani announced apologetically as Olivia turned off her computer. "Lucky for us, she survived."

A folder with a picture paper clipped to it dropped on her desk. Liv picked it up in shock. "Oh my God."

Dani had never heard such a horrified tone with Olivia before. "What is it, Olivia?"

It took a few tries, but the shocked detective finally got out a name. "It looks like Lizzy Stabler."

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Another cliffie! Wow, I'm good at these! Lol! So, I have no idea when Olivia's birthday is, but I decided to make it two day's after thanksgiving.

And sorry, I wont' be able to update for a couple of days. I have some HUGE tests coming up. But keep the reviews and idea's coming!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this every time? IT'S MINE I TELL YOU! I FOUND IT, IT CAME TO ME!!! Its mine, my own…my precious. Okay, done with Gollum/Bilbo impressions. Nope, still not mine. Still mad at the producers. Still wanting to strangle Elliot for kissing Dani on the show. And now, for our feature presentation.

_Announcer's voice:_ We last left the 16th precinct with Dani and Olivia receiving a new case finding out that it could be Elizabeth Stabler and the four detectives that we like, meaning not Dani, discovering that Elliot could be alive, and in the WPP. What will the future hold in store for the SVU? Just read!

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"Who the hell is Lizzy Stabler?" Dani demanded. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Olivia, Munch, and Fin stared at her in disbelief. "Lizzy Stabler? Elliot's daughter? Hence the same last name."

Dani shrugged. "Thought it was coincidence. I didn't know his kids names." Why would she care about his kids? All she had really cared about was Elliot.

The other three detectives eyed each other. "There is no way he was interested in her, then." Munch whispered loudly. "Everyone knows that if you want Elliot Stabler, you take the whole package, kids included."

"Um, I'm still here, guys." Dani was annoyed.

Olivia, Munch and Fin snorted and turned back to the folder. "Look at her, Fin." She brushed the picture softly with her fingers. "I can't believe that this is Lizzy."

Munch put his hand on her shoulder. "It could be someone else, Olivia. They've identified the vics wrong a few times before." All three of them could only hope that Munch was right.

Dani went right down to business. "She sustained multiple abrasions on her back, and was hit in the back of her head with something heavy to knock her out; it's a miracle that her skull wasn't bashed in. She's bruised all over, obviously. The perp tied her up to the bed." She flipped to the next picture.

Olivia gasped, horrified. She couldn't breath, the position the girl was forced in was almost impossible.

Dani continued. "She was raped repeatedly, and according to the DNA found in her, by the same guy. Lucky for us, he didn't use a condom."

"What hospital is she at?" Olivia broke in, becoming professional at once.

"Manhattan Memorial. They called and informed me that she was awake and ready to talk."

"Let's start there."

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Olivia walked into Manhattan Memorial with an air of professionalism, hiding the turmoil in her stomach. Dani appeared unaffected by the whole matter and for some reason that ticked Olivia off.

After flashing their badges and introducing themselves, the nurse at the front desk reluctantly took them back to where the rape victim was being held. With every step, Olivia felt more and more uneasy. Somehow, despite all the optimism from Fin and Munch, she knew that the girl that they would find would be what used to be Lizzy Stabler. No one could know who she would be now.

"Here we are; room 213." The nurse said, opening the door slowly. "Excuse me, Miss? You have some visitors."

"I don't want any visitors." The muffled voice came angrily.

Olivia gasped lightly. The voice definitely belonged to Elliot's oldest half of the twins. Brushing the nurse aside and demanding that Dani stay outside the room for now, Olivia entered the room and closed the door behind her. The girl on the bed was a shadow of the once lively girl Elliot had introduced her to so many years before.

Lizzy turned to the sound at the door clicking shut and quickly turned away. "No, Liv. You can't see me like this!" She covered her face with her hands and started to cry. "Just go away!"

Olivia was across the room in a flash. "Oh, Lizzy. You know I can't do that. I love you, Lizzy."

"How can you still love me, Livvy? I'm defiled. I'm no longer worthy of being loved!"

"Oh sweetheart." Olivia pulled her into a tight embrace which Lizzy accepted fiercely. "You will _never_, I repeat, NEVER, be unworthy of love. What that bastard did to you was not your fault!"

Lizzy just cried harder. "I want my dad, Liv! I wish he were here. Mom, god I don't even think of her as mom any more, doesn't care! All she care's about is her new boyfriend and the baby! I don't even think of the baby as my brother, because I've never seen him. I haven't seen mom, no Kathy, in months."

"Where have you been living, Liz?"

"With Mar, Kathleen and Dickie."

Olivia closed her eyes in anger. How could a mother abandon her children?

She didn't realize that she had voiced her question until Lizzy whispered, "You're more of a mom to me than she is. I wish you were my mom."

"Lizzy, I have always thought of you as a daughter. Even when your dad and Kathy were still together. You four have always been precious to me because your dad loved you guys so much." Olivia placed a gentle kiss on the part in Lizzy's hair and gently stroked her hair.

Lizzy smiled, leaning back to look at Olivia. "Can I call you Mom?"

Olivia was taken back, shocked. It took a moment, but then she smiled. "Oh, Liz. You can call me Mom if you want to."

"Okay. Mom." They shared a smile despite all that had happened to Lizzy recently. "Remember when Dad took us all out to the beach?" She asked suddenly.

Olivia laughed. "Do I ever? I don't think that I've been in the ocean that much before in one day!"

Lizzy giggled. "Yeah, Dad seemed to enjoy seeing you ticked at him for throwing you in yet again."

"Yes, and you, Dickie, Kathleen, and Maureen did nothing to help me. You just sat on the beach and laughed at me." Olivia poked Lizzy gently. "Some help you were!"

**Flashback**

A sudden buzz alerted Olivia to the fact that someone was wanting into her apartment building. Pushing the intercom, she heard the faint 'be quiet! Shhhh!' and then Elliot's voice. "Hey, Liv! Can I come up?"

She pushed the button to let him in. "Sure, come on in El. Oh, and bring the kids too. They aren't very quiet!" She heard a "hey we heard that!" before it went silent. _10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, _knock, knock, knock! _Right on time._ She opened the door to reveal Elliot and his four kids all trying to look innocent.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yes, the innocent look works _real_ well on you five. What's the occasion?"

Maureen sat down crosslegged on the floor while the other three draped themselves over the couch. Elliot took the loveseat and motioned for Liv to join him. Maureen spoke first. "I had a break from school and work today…"

Elliot interrupted. "And Cap called and gave us the day off. So…we all decided that we wanted to go somewhere. And then my little geniuses here…" he motioned to Kathleen, Lizzy and Dickie, "decided that it wouldn't be a fun trip unless we asked you to come along."

"So, here we are!" Kathleen giggled.

"And if you refuse…" That was Maureen.

"…we'll tie you up and throw you in the back of Dad's jeep!" Lizzy and Dickie announced in unison.

Maureen winced. "That's a little harsh, guys. But seriously, Liv. We would love for you to come with us."

Olivia looked from one kid to another before looking down at the man whose lap she was perched upon.

"They speak the truth, Liv." Elliot had his hand on her leg and the other started poking her. "Besides, who else would I annoy the whole day?"

She smacked him playfully. "Cut it out, El." She looked at all the expectant faces and sighed. "Oh, okay. If I must." She said dejectedly, but with a smile.

The kids all jumped up. "Sweet!"

"C'mon, Liv. You gotta get your swimsuit." Maureen stood from her spot on the floor and motioned to Olivia. "I'll come with you."

"I'll come too!" Kathleen said. Maureen shook her head. A look was exchanged between sisters before Kathleen nodded and sat back down. "Have fun!"

"Okay, behave yourselves, kids. Yes, Elliot. I am referring to you as well. I don't want my living room a mess when I return." Olivia was confused about the whole matter, but led Maureen to her bedroom.

Once they were in the room with the door closed, Maureen pulled Olivia into a hug. "I just wanted you to know that I am glad that my dad is dating you. My mom doesn't realize how good you are for him. Besides, she's moved on. In fact, she 'moved on' three months before the divorce was finalized."

Olivia had suspected as such, but didn't say so. She just smiled at Maureen. "Thank you, Maureen. I knew that you guys wouldn't hate me for dating your dad, but I guess that it's good to hear it from you specifically instead of just assuming."

Maureen plopped onto the floor. "Start packing, I'll keep talking." She went silent for a moment, wondering how to word her next statement. "I just have one question, Liv. What are your intentions with our family? Do you just love dad, or do you love all of us as well?"

Olivia was floored. She turned from digging through her drawers looking for her swimsuit and stared at the younger woman. "Isn't it obvious? Maureen, I love all of you. Without you kids, I wouldn't have Elliot. You guys come with the package! It's an unwritten rule: to love Elliot, you must love his kids. You all have been special to me since I first met you, Mar."

Maureen grinned from her spot on the floor. "Well, that settles it, Liv. You're part of the family!" She rolled her eyes. "I mean, Dani was nice and all, but she never came to see us, she never remembered our names, never asked about us when she called for Dad. You, on the other hand, if you know its one of us on the line, unless it's about work, you talk to us before asking to talk to dad. It's like you care about us as well as him."

"Of course I care about you guys!" Olivia tried to sound indignant, but failed miserably due to the cheesy grin that spread across her face.

"No, you just care about if we approve of you dating dad!" Maureen squealed when Olivia threw a sandal at her, laughing. "I'm just kidding, Liv!"

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Elliot was a little worried at the quietness of the apartment. When he heard Olivia's laughter though, he got a silly grin on his face. _I love that laugh._ He came to his senses when he saw Lizzy and Kathleen giggling at him, and Dickie looking bored. "What?" He asked defensively.

His younger daughters burst out laughing. "You got the 'I'm in love with Olivia Benson' smile on your face, Dad!" Lizzy giggled while Kathleen gasped for air.

"Yeah, Dad. You look ridiculous. Like you're going all mushy and girly and stuff." Dickie said gruffly. Trust a teenage boy to make a smart ass remark like that. But the grin on Dickie's face gave away his true feelings about Olivia and his dad.

Elliot was about to reply but was alerted to Olivia's bedroom door opening. His oldest daughter and his partner walked out each carrying a bag. Liv had changed into black yoga Capri's and a cute black halter top with a red zip up sweatshirt. Instead of tennis shoes, she had opted for black Chaco sandals. His jaw almost dropped at the sight of her.

"Close your mouth, El. Something might get in." She tapped his chin playfully, grinning.

He closed his mouth and blinked. "Okay kids, out to the jeep!" They all thundered down the stairs but Elliot pulled Olivia back. "You look great." He said simply, giving her a once over before kissing her thoroughly.

Olivia melted into the kiss, her arms involuntarily twining their way around his neck. The faint slam of a car door jolted her back to reality. As much as she wanted to get into the kiss, she knew the kids were waiting for them. Elliot looked sheepish as he jerked his head towards the stairs. "Let's go."

They walked hand in hand out to the jeep. Maureen took one look at them and smirked. "We would've waited a bit more if you wanted to finish." Elliot glared at his oldest daughter and Olivia just turned red before laughing. "In. Now." Elliot managed to grate out, glaring at his eldest child. Olivia grinned and slid into the front passenger seat while the four kids managed to situate themselves in the back of the jeep.

SVUSVUSVUSVU yes its still flashback

It was a fairly cool day for July. Granted, it was about two weeks until August, but it was still summer. Olivia was thankful for her jacket when they first stepped out of the jeep. It was windy and a little cloudy, but no one was going to complain about it. A day on the beach was an ideal day, even if it was cold and windy. Since the day was less than ideal, the beach was almost empty.

The towels were spread out over the sand and the kids ran off to play in the surf. Maureen took a little more time putting on sunscreen. Just before the young college student ran off as well, she winked at Olivia. Elliot was curious at the slight blush that crossed her face before she winked back.

Olivia decided that tanning while it was cold was out of the question. So instead, she sat down and pulled Elliot down with her. He tried to look angry at her, but it turned out to be more of a playful smirk. Olivia just smiled, laid down on the towel, crossing her ankles, put her hands under her head as a pillow, and closed her eyes. Elliot laid on his side, examining her face.

She opened one eye as she felt his eyes on her. "You want something, Stabler?"

"Yes." He waited until both of her eyes were open and searching his before continuing. "You."

Olivia wanted to make a smart ass remark, but instead reached up and grasped the back of his neck with her hand and pulled him down to her.

He complied eagerly, gently kissing her as his hands framed her face. He pulled her up to a sitting position. She broke away and raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to lie with me, Stabler?"

He leaned close and whispered seductively. "You know I do, Benson. But I don't think my kids would appreciate the show."

She responded by capturing his lips again with hers. He moved his hands from her face and slid them slowly down to her waist. Her free hand somehow found itself on his face, sliding over the stubble before rubbing over his short hair.

A cough interrupted the intense make out session. They looked up guiltily to see Fin, Munch, and Cragen standing there, all three looking somewhat sick. Lizzy and Maureen were laughing hard, Kathleen and Dickie were oblivious, too involved in trying to dunk each other under the waves.

"That is so what I wanted to see right now, Fin." Munch commented sarcastically. "What about you Cap?"

The captain just rolled his eyes. "Just wanted to spend some time at the beach. Didn't know that my two best detectives would choose to play doctor on a public beach with Stabler's kids running around." Olivia just turned even redder. She moved away from Elliot and refused to meet his eyes. "I'm going to go join the kids."

The other three just grinned. "No need, Olivia. We were just leaving." Fin smirked, and the three walked off.

Olivia sighed, and then burst out laughing. Elliot gave her a strange look. "What if that was someone higher up, El? We could've been busted so badly."

Elliot didn't see the funny side of that, but he humored her. "Sure, Liv." He kissed her again, and chaste kiss this time, and leaned back on the towel. He motioned for her to join him but she shook her head.

"No, it's getting warmer. I'm going to go join your kids." She proceded to strip down to just her swim suit. Elliot just stared. She was stunning in her halter top bathing suit.

"So that shirt you were wearing was your suit top?" Elliot questioned.

"Yup. And now I have a date with the waves." Olivia walked off towards the water.

Elliot smirked as an idea came over him. She might try and kill him, but he was willing to chance that. He snuck up on her and picked her up suddenly. She shrieked, drawing attention from the kids. They burst out laughing as Elliot proceded to 'escort' her down to the water and waded in waist deep. "Don't you dare, Stabler!" She managed to get out before he tossed her into the water. She came up, sputtering. "Oh, you are so dead!"

What followed was a major water fight between the two detectives. While Olivia managed to dunk him a couple of times, that was nothing compared to the dozen or so times he picked her up and threw her in or dunked her. Finally, they wore each other out and called a truce.

"You have to kiss to make the truce legal!" Maureen called out, her sisters collapsing into a heap of giggles.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "You asked for it!" He yelled back, dipping Olivia and proceeded to begin a game of some serious tonsil hockey. He slowly righted her, never breaking the kiss.

Olivia broke away finally. They were both breathing heavily. "I think that it's time to go home, don't you?" She asked. He nodded, unable to speak. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her gently before taking her hand and leading her back to shore.

The kids had already packed up the stuff. Maureen gave them a knowing look before taking the keys from her dad. "I'll drive, and you can sit in the back with those three. I want to talk to Olivia. When I drop her off, you can stay and have your wicked way with her."

Elliot just stared at his eldest daughter. She patted his cheek. "I get it from you, Dad. I know that look." She leaned in and whispered, "It's the 'I want to have sex with Olivia Benson' look. Much more intense than the 'I'm in love with Olivia Benson' look." She walked off before he could say anything, leaving his gaping once more at the daughter's insight.

One week later, Elliot Stabler was dead.

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"So that's what you two did when we dropped you guys off!" Lizzy teased Olivia. They laughed and went silent for a moment. Lizzy could sense the unease that started to radiate from Olivia. "You need to ask questions about the rape now, don't you Mom."

"You truly are your father's daughter, Liz." Olivia sighed. "Yes. Is it okay if Dani comes in as well?"

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Commentatuer, s'il vous plait!

Well, the updates will come further apart due to the fact that I now have to face the impending doom that finals bring.

Much love!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Bear with me, my ducklings! Things will look up for Olivia and for the Stabler family…eventually. Enjoy the next installment of Christmas in New York! I wrote this before this past Tuesday's episode, but due to lack of internet connection, was unable to update it. Sorry! Do you guys really think that Dani is gone for good? I don't. She's going to come back somehow. There hasn't been enough drama yet. LOL!

Previously on SVU:

"You truly are your father's daughter, Liz." Olivia sighed. "Yes. Is it okay if Dani comes in as well?"

Liz almost said no, but sighed. "If she has to. Do I have to talk to her?"

"Only answer the questions you want to, Lizzy. If it helps, look at me and answer it to me." At the girl's nod, she stood up and opened the door. "Detective Beck, if you could join me, please." Before she would let Dani in the room, though, Dani had to understand something. "Do NOT upset her. She is as close to me as any daughter ever could be."

Before Dani could comprehend what Olivia was talking about, she was ushered into the room and the door was shut. She felt a twinge of sadness when she saw Elliot's daughter sitting on the bed, looking worse than the pictures could have ever depicted. And the coldness that, _what was her name? Oh yes, Lizzy…_ Lizzy regarded her with was unsettling. "Hello, Lizzy. I'm sure you remember me."

Lizzy let her eyes display the extreme dislike that she held towards Dani. "Of course, Detective Beck. How could I forget you?" She distressed 'detective Beck' and continued. "Surprisingly enough, I remember names of people I meet." She stopped when Olivia placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, M…Liv." She was not going to call Olivia mom in front of this beast who had dated her dad for a short time.

"Okay, Lizzy. I need you to answer the questions as clearly as you can, alright?" Dani continued as if she were explaining how to add 1+1 to a group of five year olds.

Lizzy sent her a withering glare. "I know how to answer questions. I'm not dumb. Just because I was raped does not make me stupid and unable to comprehend simple phrases. My dad was in SVU much longer than you have been. I do know how this works."

"Do you remember where you were on the night of the attack?" Dani ignored the glare and continued.

"Well, seeing as it was early this morning, yes I do remember. I'm going to be here." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, you mean last night? My mistake. I was out with one of my friends, Sheila."

"And where did you guys go?" Dani was still talking as if to a young child.

Lizzy was starting to get pissed. "We went to go hug Barney, the big stupid purple dinosaur! For goodness sake, I'm not five! Can you please ask me as if I were an adult!" Sending another withering glare towards Dani, she faced Olivia. "I went with Sheila to go see Phantom of the Opera at her house."

"I love that movie. So what did you do after the movie?" This question came from Olivia.

"Well, ever since I started living with Mar, I live a block away from Sheila. We finished the movie at around 12:30, and at one I decided to go home. Sheila wanted to come with me, but I insisted that I would be fine. I never made it home. I'm lucky that someone wondered what the screaming was in his apartment. The police made it there an hour or so after I was raped."

"Did you see your attacker?" This was Dani.

"No. But he sounded young, and Hispanic. You know, with the accent and all." Lizzy shrugged. "He wore a mask. His shirt was too small, though, so I saw his stomach. There was a strange scar on his stomach. It looked like some one had stabbed him a few times and then connected the stab wounds. It was like an eerie spider's web. He kept telling me that I would enjoy it. He tied me naked to the bed in a way that I never thought I could ever be in. He took a whip out and seemed to be more aroused with every smack it made and cry I uttered." Lizzy tried hard not to burst into tears.

Olivia didn't want to hear any more. She made a couple of notes. "Okay, thank you Lizzy. We will be in touch with you. Do I need to leave the card with you?"

"No, I have both your cell and the precinct's number memorized." She answered with a tired smile. "Come visit. I know Maur, Kath, and Dickie want to see you."

"I promise, I will come and see you." The two detectives left the room, but Olivia paused at the door. "I love you, Lizzy Stabler." She whispered.

"Love you too, Mom." Liz whispered back so Dani couldn't hear her.

But Dani had indeed heard her, and though she never mentioned it to Olivia, she felt strange hearing the daughter of the man she had started falling in love with call someone other than Kathy 'mom' and say that she loved her. Dani was determined to figure out the relationship Elliot and Olivia had shared.

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Once the pair had made it into the car, Olivia let out the breath she was holding. She looked at Dani who in turn looked at her.

"We nee a search warrant for the apartments on that street." Olivia said half a second before Dani did. Both looked startled, as if they weren't expecting to be on the same thought line. "Exactly." Olivia said softly, confused. _What's happening! I can't be in sync with anyone other than Elliot! I can't! I think its time that I see Huang again._

Similar thoughts were running through Dani's head. _I've never had that in syncness with anyone, not even Elliot or anyone that I worked with before. This can NOT be good._ "I'll contact Casey about getting us our search warrant."

"Good. I have some business that I need to take care of when we return to the precinct." Olivia turned and focused on her driving. Her mind went back to the first time her and Elliot had realized how in sync they really were.

**Flashback**

"Elliot, I know how to do my job! I do not need to be protected and coddled simply because your male instincts tell you that I'm not smart enough to do the job." This wasn't the first time her and Elliot had had this argument.

"Olivia, all that I am asking is that you stay here so you don't get shot. There is no telling what he will do!" Elliot never had wanted a female partner for this very reason.

"Fine. He'll shoot you, and then no one will be there to help you and you will die on the floor of that cold warehouse." Olivia said with a sarcastically sweet tone. "Then Cragen will have my head for letting my partner bleed to death. No, Elliot. I am coming in with you, or none of us are going in."

Elliot caved. "Fine. But stay close to me. I don't want to have to worry about you,"

Olivia just rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about me, Elliot, because I won't be close to you. We're easier targets that way."

The pair entered the building, guns drawn. Olivia went right, Elliot went left. They glanced at each other and he motioned for her to clear her side. She nodded and proceeded to check the right side, all the while keeping low and moving at a steady pace forward, keeping in line with Elliot who was doing the same.

Olivia saw him first. Holding out a hand for Elliot to stop, she tipped her head towards where the perp was holding the girl. Luckily for them, he hadn't seen either of them. They looked at each other and simultaneously circled around. Elliot motioned for her to stay where she was. She nodded, and covered his back, all the while keeping an eye on the girl.

The perp was talking to the little girl. "No one's coming to get you, sweetheart. No one cares. Mommy and Daddy don't love you any more."

Elliot felt his heart clench. How could he tell this little girl such horrific lies? Little did he know, but the same feelings were coursing through Olivia.

A block of wood clattered to the ground. _Shit!_ Elliot cursed inside, hoping the man hadn't heard what direction it was coming from. The man stood up, leaving the little girl unattended. _Olivia, get the girl!_

Olivia took her chance. Moving so the girl could see her, she motioned for the child to move silently towards her. The man turned around just as the little girl reached Olivia. But before he could say or do anything, Elliot knocked him out with the butt of his pistol.

The gun never pointing away from the perp, he turned to Olivia who was holding the child. His astonished eyes never left hers as she radioed the captain. "Cap, we've got her. Send 'em in. He's unconscious."

On the way back to the station, Olivia suddenly turned to Elliot. "Elliot, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

He stopped her. "I would've done the same thing. It is what I was hoping you would do."

They both smiled slightly. The dynamic duo was born.

**End Flashback**

Olivia couldn't get her mind off of what Lizzy had said. "The spider web." She muttered, trying to think back to where she could have seen what Lizzy was describing.

Dani just looked at her. "It could be a tattoo you've seen."

Olivia's eyes widened slightly. "No. He's dead, I saw him dead. And besides, he is no where near Hispanic."

"What about the partner?" The wheels in Dani's head where spinning.

"How did you know I was talking about Richard White?"

Dani shrugged. "Your reaction to the spider web."

The car was quiet as they made their way back to the 16th precinct, both detectives lost in their thoughts.

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVUSVU

"Well, Olivia. It is good to see that you are keeping up with these appointments." Huang leaned back in his chair and stretched a little. "Forgive me, I'm a little tired. I've had to talk to three kids today already. None of them wanted to talk at first. The stories they tell when they do talk. Whew."

"Huang, I have a problem." Olivia didn't want to waste time with chit chat. She was sitting in the chair used for clients with her legs crossed and her arms resting on the arm rests.

"And what problem would that be, Olivia?"

"Dani." Olivia stated simply. "I don't know what I am going to do."

"What about Dani? Are you two still having problems?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. I still don't like her, but that's not really it. The problem is, is that we aren't having problems. We don't argue on points. We agree with each other."

"What happened today?" Huang knew that something had to have happened for Liv to be bringing this up.

"We were at the hospital interviewing a vic. Turns out that the vic was Lizzy Stabler. We got back to the car, and it was just like I was with Elliot. We both had the same idea the same time. Her ability to read my emotions is something no one has done but El. She mentioned something, and was able to know what I was talking about simply because of my reaction." Liv was purposely keeping the facts vague. "It scares me, George."

"Why does it scare you, Olivia?" Huang was curious.

"It reminds me of what El and I had before he died."

George was about to comment when Olivia's pager went off. She stood up, clipping it back onto her belt. "That was Casey. Apparently, we have our search warrant. I'll come back before the week is done." With that, she left the office.

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While Olivia was with Huang, Dani was on another mission. After explaining to Casey what the problem was and why they needed the search warrant, she went to talk to Don.

"Captain, he's after Elliot's family."

Don looked up from his desk. "Come again, Dani?"

"Richard White. Or rather, his accomplice. He's after the Stabler's and quite possibly Olivia. She's probably last on the list."

Don put his papers down. "And how have you come across this conclusion, Beck?"

"The girl we saw today in the hospital was indeed Lizzy Stabler." At Don's sharp intake of breath, she continued. "You saw the pictures. Well, in person, its much worse, especially when it's the daughter of a dead detective."

"Where are you going with this, Beck?" _Olivia, I need to talk to her!_

"They never caught the guy who was with Richard, did they?"

"No."

"That's where I was going with this, captain." A beeping went off. She looked down and read her pager. "It's Casey with our search warrant. I'll detail it later, Capt." She exited the office, smirking at the confused look on Cragen's face.

Olivia was already preparing for the ride when Dani stepped out of the office. "You got the page too?"

"Yes."

"Good. Thank you for talking to Casey. What I had to do couldn't wait." Olivia wasn't about to tell Dani that she was seeing a psychiatrist, let along George Huang.

"No problem. Let's go."

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"I really shouldn't be doing this!" The apartment complex owner was muttering as he handed Olivia the master key.

"Hey!" Dani shoved the search warrant into the guy's face. "We got permission, remember?"

"Beck." Olivia said warningly. "We got the key. If Mr. Cortez wants to accompany us, he may."

The small hispanic man shook his head. "No, no, no! I have business I must attend to."

"Good. Then make sure no one enters or exits this building." Dani ordered, following Olivia to the hall way.

"We search it all." Olivia sighed. "This could take a while."

"Munch and Fin will be here soon. They were 20 minutes away when I called them. We'll just start without them."

Once Munch and Fin arrived, the searching went a little faster. The first and second floors came up with nothing. The four of them trudged up to the last floor. There were only two doors.

"This should be relatively easy." Munch commented.

"Yeah, if you like searching through the penthouses." Fin muttered. "Man, this is pointless. Nothing is here."

"None of the keys fit!" Dani was getting frusterated.

"Move back!" Fin placed a well aimed kick and the door fell in.

"Oh my God." Dani and Olivia breathed together. Munch and Fin just stared in astonishment before instinct kicked in. The four went through all the rooms.

"Kitchen is clear!" Dani shouted.

"Master bed is too!" Fin muttered.

"Bathroom clear!" John looked around the corner at Olivia.

The sound of a door being kicked in resounded through the flat. "Guys, take a look at this!" The tone in Olivia's voice was one of numb concern.

"Oh my God." This time the other three were the ones in shock. Inside the second bedroom was a shrine. The walls were covered with pictures of Elliot, his kids, and Olivia. But before any of them could register what was happening, the sound of footsteps reached them.

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Well, here ends another chapter…in a cliffhanger!! Woot! Ah, I love my job! Later, my ducklings!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: No, not mine

AN: Seeing as I am a nice person, and I didn't update in awhile…here's the next chapter!

Oh, and I got it down this time…here goes!

"In the criminal justice system, sexually based offences are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are part of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."

YAY! bows Thank you, thank you! Okay, on with the chapter.

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The four detectives looked at each other, closed the door to the room, and moved into position, guns out and ready.

"Hello? Detectives?"

The detectives rolled their eyes and put their guns away. "Yes, Mr. Cortez?"

The Hispanic man showed at the door. "Excuse me Detectives, but these are my quarters. The key for it is not on the key ring. You had no right to…!"

Dani broke in. "Actually, we did." She handed him the blue paper. "Read it. We have the warrant to search ALL the rooms, including the top floor."

"Did you say that these rooms belong to you?" Olivia asked.

"Yes. They are mine, and very private!" The man seemed a little nervous, and rightfully so, for the four detectives were staring at him as if they were going to pull him apart from limb to limb.

"Benson, would you care to do the honors?" Fin grated out, trying to keep himself from strangling the man.

"With pleasure." She pulled out her handcuffs and attached them to the man's wrists none too gently. "Adrian Cortez, you are under arrest for the rape and attempted murder of Elizabeth Stabler. Anything you do or say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you by the state."

She escorted him out of the room with him sputtering and demanding his lawyer the whole time. Munch went with her to ensure her safety while Fin and Dani stayed behind and photographed anything that could be important.

Dani went back into the room that had been locked. "Dear God." She whispered, staring at all the pictures. "He's been stalking her." Most of the pictures were of her and Elliot, or Elliot's family. She felt a pang of loneliness as she stared at the pictures. _These pictures are almost as if they are on dates!_

"They dated for two months before he was shot." Fin's voice sounded softly behind her. She kept her face away from him; she didn't want Fin to see the tears that had sprung up in her eyes.

"All these pictures are from two months of a relationship?"

"No. These here are from before you came, from before she was put undercover." Fin motioned to a set of pictures. "The two of them have been stalked for longer than two months. Judging from the people in these pictures, and Olivia's hair style, he's been watching them for almost a year."

"Oh my god." Dani couldn't believe it. "Who would have it out for either of them?"

Fin just looked at her.

"Right. Dumb question." Dani shook her head. "Richard White. But he's dead."

The two of them continued around the room, taking pictures and gathering other items.

"Hey Dani, take a look at this." Fin held up a whip. She examined it closely. "There's blood on the end. Bag it."

"Take the pictures, too. Casey will want to see these." Fin held out an envelope. "Make sure you don't put any prints on 'em."

The pair continued to work methodically, photographing and gathering anything that could help their case.

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This was Olivia's favorite part of the investigation. The interrogation. "Where were you around one this morning?"

"My apartment. Sleeping."

"Well, that's the partial truth." Olivia leaned on the table and gave him her 'perp stare'. "But you weren't alone, were you?"

Adrian Cortez stared up at Olivia defiantly. "You have no right to keep me here. There is no evidence against me!"

Dani walked into the room at that moment. "Detective Benson, if I could talk to you out side?"

"What is it?" Olivia asked once the door was closed behind her.

Dani handed her a photo. "Take a look at this. This is the man that was working with Richard White. After Richard was killed, the FBI looked for him, but has had yet to find him. He went by the name Jose Rodriguez. I had the FBI look into the guy we found, it's the same man."

Liv looked through the one way glass. "And you're sure about this?"

"Look at the picture, Olivia." Dani said gently, shaking the picture a little.

Olivia took a good look at the photo. "Holy shit." She whispered. "That bastard."

Dani sighed. "He's the one, isn't he?"

Olivia nodded, still staring at the picture. "What evidence do we have that he raped Lizzy?"

The other detective handed Olivia a thick file. "This is filled with pictures of stuff we found in his apartment. I want to take it to Lizzy to make sure that it is what he used, but the analysis of the whip will tell us if the blood belongs to Lizzy. It's at the lab now; I should be getting a page soon." No sooner as the words left her mouth, her pager beeped. Dani looked at it and grimaced. "It's hers. Nail the bastard."

Olivia walked back into the room. "Actually, Mr. Cortez, there is plenty of evidence against you. Right now, you're looking at 25 to life."

"Actually, my client is not going anywhere. You do not have any right to be questioning him. What about his rights?" Adrian's lawyer placed a briefcase on the table. "I am offering you a deal. We admit to rape, and he only gets 10 years."

"We have evidence that he raped Lizzy. He also just admitted to being in his apartment at one that evening, which is the time that Lizzy was walking by his apartment building. He practically admitted to raping her. And no, I did not coerce a confession from him. I always left that to Detective Stabler." Liv smirked at the lawyer. "Planned rape, attempted murder, and he gets 25 to life. That's the best deal I will ever offer him." She turned and left the room, leaving an astounded lawyer and an unrepentant rapist.

Casey met her outside the interrogation room. "You've only got enough evidence to place him with Lizzy's rape. There isn't enough to place him with Elliot's death. Some of those pictures of him and you in his apartment, they're of that day. Munch and Fin checked into the dates, and both agreed that that was the day that Elliot was killed, but it won't be enough to convince a jury. You need more evidence." They walked into the main room of the station and Olivia stared at the picture board. "I've got to run back to my office, I'll call you later Olivia." With that, Casey left the precinct.

Liv was joined by Dani who began to explain the pictures. "We've put them in chronological order. See how in the first set of pictures include Richard White? The second set doesn't. The pictures are all stills taken from a video."

Olivia gasped. "Dear God, he's been stalking me for a year?" She continued to examine the photos. "Every date we went on, every investigation we went on. They're all here." She was muttering to herself, forgetting about Dani who in turn smashed down the feelings of sadness she felt.

Munch and Fin walked into the room, arguing yet again about another conspiracy. They froze when they saw the two female detectives studying the pictures. "I see you found the pictures, Liv." Munch said slowly.

Fin looked at Dani closely. He frowned slightly at the traces of sadness he found in her eyes. "Hey Dani, you want to go get coffee? We'll leave these two to discuss the pictures."

She looked over at him, slightly confused. "Okay."

They left the precinct, leaving behind two bewildered detectives.

Olivia and Munch just stared at the detectives as they left. "Munch…?"

"I know, Olivia. And if that wasn't the most peculiar thing I ever saw." Munch just stood there and blinked. "If my ears weren't deceiving me, I think he just asked her out." He took a swig of water.

Olivia was flabbergasted. "That's what I just figured." She broke into a smile. "I think Fin is smitten."

Munch choked on his swallow of water.

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The pair walked in silence for the first block before Dani blurted out, "I thought you hated me."

Fin looked down at his feet. "I never hated you. Disliked, maybe, but that's what happens when someone replaces one of the best detectives I have ever worked with." He paused. "Dani, I wish that I could've somehow make Elliot fall for you."

Dani gave a half smile. "Don't wish for what would never have happened. Olivia was the best thing for him, I could tell. Even before I knew her, I knew that he loved her. Even if he never did acknowledge it." She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "I was happy for her, really I was. It just still hurts a little, I think."

Fin looked at her hand on his arm and smiled at her. "Well, that is to be expected." He said, putting on a lighter tone and placing his hand on hers. "Well, my dear," He put on a fake southern drawl as best as he could, "I do believe that coffee is waiting for us."

She burst out laughing and Fin managed to look wounded. "That was the funniest thing that I have ever heard! Fin, you are defiantly not from the south!"

"Alright, smartass." He grumbled in his normal voice. "I was going to pay for your coffee, but now I might just have to reconsider!"

She laughed again, and he smiled at the sound of it. It was good to hear her laugh again. _What the hell am I thinking? Man, I am going to get in too deep. No, it's too late. I'm already in over my head!_

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In the sunlit loft of the apartment building on the corner of 11th street and Avenue A sat a heartbroken man. The situation unfolding was beyond his control and it angered him. He already had dented the exhaust vent on the roof from his fury. He hated feeling so helpless. His eyes were red from crying and his throat hurt from yelling. He was surprised that no one had come to investigate then remembered where he was. _No one cares about us here in Alphabet City._ He could only hope that the rest of those he loved were safe.

Maybe it was time for another visit to the roof to clear his head. He slid open the door and closed it behind him. Trudging up the stairs, he found himself on the roof. _I'm so sorry, Liz. I'm sorry I can't be there for you._

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After making sure Munch wasn't going to collapse after choking on his water, Liv returned to examining the pictures.

"Liv, there isn't much more you are going to get from staring at them." Munch put a hand on her shoulder, his coughing subsided.

"I know, Munch. But seeing them makes me feel as if he's still here. I can remember all of these dates. Oh god, I miss him."

Munch just pulled her into a brotherly hug. "If he really is alive, I'm going to kill him for putting you through this."

She laughed through the tears. "You really do look out for me, don't you?"

"Of course, Liv! I'm your big bro! It's in the job description." He joked, rubbing her back a little.

She stepped out of his embrace, her face pulled into a frown. "Munch, did they search all the rooms?"

"I'm not sure, why?"

"Because if these pictures are from a video, that means that there is a tape somewhere in that apartment." She began to pace, thinking. "We have to go back! If we find that tape, maybe we can find the evidence to link him to both Lizzy and Elliot."

Munch tapped the side of his nose before pointing at her. "I like your thinking, Olivia Benson." He quickly wrote out a note for Fin. "Let's go. I told them to meet us there."

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Olivia and Munch hadn't been at the apartment for more than 10 minutes when Fin and Dani came rushing in. "You're lucky we're the police, or we would've gotten arrested for how many traffic laws you just broke." Dani was grumbling at Fin.

"Hey! I got us here safely and in record time, didn't I?" Fin protested.

"In record time maybe correct, but safely?" Dani left the sentence at that.

Fin just shook his head. "Women. Hey Munch, did we miss anything?"

"Yes. The aliens came and abducted all the people in the apartments. If I hadn't fought them off, they would've gotten Olivia and me as well. I knew that the government was hiding something from us." Munch ranted playfully.

Olivia gave him a little shove. "Behave. We waited for you."

The four of them headed back up the apartment and found the door still unlocked. "Use gloves, and find that video tape." Dani ordered. "Look everywhere."

Munch headed towards the master bedroom, where he proceeded to tear apart the bed, the drawers, and the closet. The only thing he found was dirty laundry, and porn. "This was one sick man." He commented as he left the room. "Maybe we can nab him on child pornography as well."

Fin headed to the kitchen, opening all the cupboards and pulling out everything. "Man, how does he live like this?" They were mostly bare, with a few essentials like cereal, soup, and bread. "Nothing here."

Olivia to the second room and dreaded what she would find there. Taking a deep breath, she looked around. The pictures were no longer there, but there was a video camera sitting next to the wall. She looked to where it was pointing and discovered a small hole that she assumed led to the bedroom. "Munch, is there a hole pointing towards the bed in the master bedroom?" When he gave the affirmative, she closed her eyes. "Bastard taped himself raping Lizzy." She announced, walking out to the living room where Dani was.

Dani had stayed in the living room. She looked around at the room and tried to think of where the man would hide a tape. Her eyes landed on a video player. "That's a little too obvious." She muttered, walking towards it. "Unless he wanted it to be found." She pushed the eject button. "Jackpot."

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A/N: Ahh! The sweet smell of….CLIFFHANGERS!! Mwahahahaha!!! Eh, I guess it's not a cliffhanger. It's just a really bad place to end it. Sorry! If I continued this chapter, it would've been like 10 or 11 pages long on Microsoft word. Reviews are the light at the end of the tunnel! Toodles!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: It's his not mine

A/N: Yay! You love me! Have fun with this all! I love you all my ducklings!

Overview of Chapter 8:

They catch the perp who just happens to own the apartment and find that he not only raped Lizzy, but he stalked Liv and El. Munch and Liv have a brother/sister moment. And the big question: what is happening between Fin and Dani? Stay tuned to find out!!

From last time:

_Dani had stayed in the living room. She looked around at the room and tried to think of where the man would hide a tape. Her eyes landed on a video player. "That's a little too obvious." She muttered, walking towards it. "Unless he wanted it to be found." She pushed the eject button. "Jackpot." _

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The four of them met in the living room, all of them slightly more disturbed than when they came.

Olivia turned to Dani. "Did you recover the tape?"

Dani held up said tape. "I got it. Did any of you find anything interesting?"

"Just some child porn." Munch held out the bag as if it was going to bite him.

"Nothing in the kitchen except that he likes to eat Captain Crunch and Cornflakes." Fin muttered.

"Come look at this." Olivia led them all back to the room. "See the camera?" The other three went to inspect it. "It's pointing at the bed in the master room."

"Dear god, he's sick." Dani gasped.

"Did you take the tape out?" Munch asked.

"No, I wanted to photograph it first, but Dani has the camera."

Dani took the pictures and Olivia then opened the camera. "No tape. He must've done something with it."

"He did." Munch's eyes widened in realization. "Try the camera sitting on the TV."

Fin sprinted out of the room to go check. "Here it is!" He called back to them.

"Take the whole thing." Dani said as they walked back into the living room.

The four of them closed the door behind them as they left, all of them quiet as they wondered as to what could be on the tape.

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Back at the precinct, they were organizing the evidence. Some more pictures were added to the timeline that they had recovered the last time, and other pictures were added to the file.

Olivia was unusually quiet. She was debating asking for the tape because she wasn't sure if she really wanted to watch it. Finally, she spoke.

"Can I have the video tape, Dani?" Olivia asked softly.

Dani was expecting her to ask for it. She nodded and held it out. Olivia took it almost hesitantly. "I'll leave you to watch it." At Olivia's appreciative nod, she smiled softly and left the room.

Olivia nodded mutely, sitting down in her chair. _Can I really go through losing Elliot again? Can I go through that horror again?_

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the captain with a concerned look on his face. "Dani told me about the tape. As soon as Munch and Fin are ready, we'll watch it, okay?"

"Okay." She said softly.

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Olivia found herself surrounded by her closest friends as Don pushed the tape into the player. Munch and Fin flanked either side and Casey, whom Don had phoned, sat in front of her. Don took his place perched on his desk directly behind Olivia and handed her the remote.

"You can stop it whenever and we'll finish watching it later, Liv." Don said gently as she pushed play.

The snowy screen crackled for a moment before the homemade video started.

The start of the movie was not what Olivia was expecting at first. It began with a black screen and a voice.

"If the people watching this tape are either Detective Stabler or Detective Benson, congratulations. You caught me. Considering that the only people that have access to this tape are I, Richard White, and Jose Cortez, I can only assume that the audience the detectives of the 16th precinct. Enjoy the show, detectives."

The first scene was the apartment that the tape had been taken from. Inside was the simply furnished living room with the couch and TV they had seen. Richards face appeared on the screen. "Hello, Olivia. You destroyed my life, and now, I am going to destroy yours." The camera zoomed in onto the TV. "I know where Elliot and you are at all times. And the funny thing is, you will never know." And on the screen were flashing images of her and Elliot during the different dates they had gone on since she had returned.

The five of them were watching in disbelief. Casey didn't even know that Elliot and Olivia were dating, and Munch, Fin, and Don were shocked to see themselves on some of the shots. The last scene that flashed by was the Stabler family and Olivia at the beach the week before the shooting.

"But that, my dear Olivia, is only the beginning." The camera was on him once more. "There are cameras planted in yours and Elliot's apartments. It was hard to keep track of you two. But once you moved in with him, it made it much easier to track the two of you." The camera was on the TV now. Olivia closed her eyes in embarrassment and fast forwarded it. She flashed a mortified smile at the rest of the people in the room. "I know you don't want to see this."

The rest of the room agreed wholeheartedly. "We do not need to see what you and Elliot did after hours." Don winced. "I got enough grief from headquarters with you two dating and remaining partners."

Olivia pushed play again. "I think it's safe now."

"Did the people watching this with you enjoy that? Well, knowing you, it was fast forwarded. Too bad, it was a great show. The only time, judging from the tapes, unless you christened the living room or kitchen."

Munch made a face and Fin was turning green. Olivia just buried her face in her hands. "Sorry guys." She muttered.

Richard continued. "That's all I have for you, my darling. Right now, I'm going to go to you and your precious Elliot. I'll be waiting for you."

The screen went fuzzy before Jose's heavily accented voice came with a black screen. "Well, Olivia. Do you want to see what happened today?"

Olivia forced herself to keep her eyes open as the horror started. She saw herself and Elliot scanning the room, guns drawn and ready. She shook her head when she saw Richard and Jose/Adrian come up behind the two of them. Tears escaped when she saw Jose/Adrian slam his gun against Elliot's temple, causing him to crumple to the ground. Jose started beating Elliot while Olivia was grabbed from behind by Richard. She watched herself recoil from Richard, Elliot struggle to his knees, the stream of police come in and Elliot crumple as Richard shot him.

Tears were blocking Olivia's view of Richard collapsing under the weight of the bullets that hit his body. They blocked her view of her becoming frantic over Elliot's fallen body or the paramedics take him away. All she was aware of was the pain she felt at seeing Elliot fall again. Casey stood up and embraced her. Munch and Fin joined Casey and Don placed both hands on her shoulders, keeping his eyes on the screen.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed that dear Olivia. Lizzy's our next target, darling."

Don shut off the tape here. The last thing any of them needed was to see Elliot's daughter being raped.

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While the other detectives were watching the tape, Dani had set the camera up so she could watch it as well without intruding on Olivia's privacy. She felt sick to her stomach as she watched and realized how much danger the two had actually been in. She fast forwarded it at the same place Olivia did, not wanting to see a free show.

At the end of the tape, she closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. It didn't work. All that was running through her mind was the horror that Olivia must be feeling at this moment. The tears that ran down her face were not for Elliot, but for Olivia. This was one more case that she could not fix, and it was beginning to eat away at her. This was the reason that she had left SVU in the first place.

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"Olivia." Don said gently. "This tape ensures the fact that Jose will be convicted."

She sniffed. "I know. It just hurts to see it all over again." Munch and Fin awkwardly patted her shoulder and back.

Don sighed and hesitantly held out a piece of paper. "Liv, he's still alive."

The four others gasped. "What?" They all gathered around the paper Don held out.

"He's at the apartment building on the corner of 11th street and Avenue A." He paused, looking them all in the eyes. "This stay's here, guys. Even though we have Jose in custody, it doesn't mean that someone else isn't out to get him." He eyed the four of them who all nodded in agreement.

After a bit, Olivia spoke up. "You realize what this means, don't you?"

The rest of them stared at her.

"It means that if he's convicted, Elliot can come home."

The pieces were starting to fall into place.

They all sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before Don decided that the room was too serious.

"Now, how about something a little lighter to brighten everyone's spirits?" Don asked, pulling out a movie. The other four gathered around it.

"Over the Hedge?" Fin scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm game." Munch announced.

"Me too!" Casey and Olivia said in unison.

"I'll call Dani. Maybe she'll make it bearable." Fin grumbled, pulling out his cell phone.

The others shared a knowing glance with each other before smirking.

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Dani was startled out of her thoughts by the jingle of her phone. "Beck."

"Hey Dani, its Fin. The clowns over here want to watch _Over the Hedge_ to get what we watched, and I'm sure you watched on the camera, out of our heads."

She smiled a little at the sound of his voice. "Okay. Where?"

"Don's office. " His voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "Please get here soon! They're driving me insane."

She laughed. "Okay, I'll be there soon." They hung up their phones. She wiped her eyes to remove any traces that she had been crying and headed down towards Don's office.

Fin was waiting outside the door. "They're crazy I tell you, crazy."

"What's going on in there?" She could hear loud laughter and someone yell at Munch to stop his conspiracy theories.

"He's started a conspiracy theory about how the movie is really about the Russians taking over America." Fin muttered. Dani just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes. "Come on; let's go hear all about hedges and conspiracies." He put his hand on the small of her back and gave her a little push into the room. "Ladies first."

"Dani, nice of you to come!" Munch called out. "This movie is all about a conspiracy…"

"Munch!" Five voices called out in unison.

"Fine." He pouted, glaring at everyone. "See if I take you into my house when the Russians take over the US."

"Don't worry, Munch. I won't try and take over the world." Dani said dryly before settling on the ground in front of Fin. The rest of the crew took their original places.

"I get the remote!" Munch called out trying to take it out of Olivia's hand.

"No!" She resisted him by hiding it under her shirt. "Don gave it to me; therefore, I get to keep it."

Munch once again resorted to pouting. "It's not fair."

"Shhhh! The movie's starting!" Five voices hissed.

"Everyone is against me!" Munch whined. "Ouch, Casey! What was that for?" He rubbed the spot where she pinched him.

She just smirked and ignored him.

He sighed. _Oh well. Stupid hidden conspiracies. The movie makers are just brainwashing the kids._ He glanced over at his partner and had to smirk when he saw that Dani was sitting between his legs, leaning her head on his knee and Fin absentmindedly stroking her hair. Things were definitely looking up for Fin and Dani both.

He turned his attention to Olivia. She was happier than she had been for the past few weeks. She would smile then giggle at parts of the movie. Hopefully, Elliot really was alive. Then maybe they would have the happy Olivia back.

Munch started when he felt someone lean against his knees. Looking down, he discovered Casey using him as a backrest. She leaned back and smiled up at him, and he smiled back at her before reaching down to squeeze her hand. His smile grew when she held on to it. Maybe things would start looking up for him as well.

Olivia soon lost interest in the movie. She glanced around her and noticed that the three other detectives and a certain ADA were all snuggling or holding hands. _So, they finally are discovering each other!_ She smiled slightly. She glanced back to see that Don had fallen asleep in his chair. She sighed and faced forward again. _Elliot would love this movie._

Her eyes misted at the thought of Elliot. It was just a movie he would love. Just like any man, he loved action. But he also loved comedies. This movie was just plain hilarious. Hammy totally cracked her up. Stella reminded her of herself before she fell for Elliot. And the lady who was the president of the HOA reminded her of Elliot's and her Landlady.

When the movie ended, they all decided to watch Hammy's adventure. In Dani's opinion, the short clip was funnier than the movie. She and Casey were crying they were laughing so hard. The other three woke Don up with their hysterical laughter at the pair.

"Huh? What did I miss?" He said sleepily.

"Only the whole movie, Captain." Fin said in his gruff tone.

The five of them collapsed into laughter once more at Don's disgruntled look. "Sure, laugh at my expense!" He muttered, causing them to laugh even harder. "I'm the one paying you."

"And you wouldn't stop paying us because we're too valuable for you to lose!" Olivia teased. "You know that you could never replace us!"

"That's why he brought me back instead of trying to train someone else." Dani feigned anger. "He needed someone with a temper."

"And he thought that I needed someone with a temper to control!" Olivia cracked up again.

No one would realize it, but it was at this moment that Olivia and Dani became friends.

"And don't forget Fin, Dani." Munch teased. "The real reason Don brought you back was actually because Fin couldn't live without you, not that Liv needed to control someone. He got sick of Fin mooning around like a cow."

Fin picked up a small book from the shelf beside him and flung it at Munch who caught it and tossed it onto the desk. Fin's face was turning as red as it could on his black face.

Dani and Olivia just laughed. "Its good to see that you have an emotion other than indifference, Fin." Olivia teased.

He pushed her playfully. "Shush, Liv! We don't want that getting out."

Dani glared at him playfully. "Hey! I'll have you know that we girls are more than capable to kick your ass!" She and Olivia held matching, intimidating poses.

Munch and Fin cowered in mock fear. Casey just laughed. "And I'll get your asses thrown in jail for harassment, guys."

Don held up a hand. "Okay, okay. Enough is enough. Back to the matter at hand. Casey, do we have enough to make a case against him for both Lizzy and Elliot?"

"Yes we do, however, the fact that Elliot is in WPP and not actually dead could pose a problem."

"How?" Olivia questioned. "Instead of murder, we change it to attempted murder."

"But no one can know that Elliot is actually alive. That's the point of WPP." Don said patiently.

The five of them sat in silence, letting Don's words sink in.

"So, there's nothing we can do?" Munch said finally. Casey put a hand on his shoulder.

"Actually, we can still build a case. We will just make the one for Elliot a private matter with no audience. I'll work on my boss about it. Don, you may need to call him first though."

"I'll just come with you, Case." He said, standing up. "The rest of you, I believe that there is paper work to be filled out." He eyed them knowingly before he and Casey headed out of the precinct.

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A/N: And so ends another chapter. I need 10 reviews before I'll update!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Sorry for the wait, guys. I had a hard time figuring out how to get from chapter 9 to the last chapter. I have the ending all figured out. It's the middle part that I'm having trouble with. Hmm….any idea's, anyone?

Disclaimer: I was just told that I do indeed own SVU….NOT!!! geez…one would think that people would get that by now…lol

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"I hate paper work." Fin muttered to himself as he tossed another finished paper aside.

"Maybe you should get a secretary." Dani teased, looking over a report before placing it in the 'finally done with this dumb piece of shit' pile…and yes, it really was labeled that.

"Why? You offerin'?" Fin said dryly, glancing up to see her reaction.

She shrugged. "Depends. How much money do you have?"

Fin eyed her for a bit before chuckling. Munch and Olivia shared a surprised look. _Fin just laughed_ was the thought on both minds.

Dani just smirked before turning back to the paper work. "The sooner we finish this dumb paperwork, the sooner we can all go get something to eat."

"Amen!" Olivia agreed wholeheartedly. "Say, what do you say to a girl's only night tonight, Dani?"

"I'd love that, Liv." She said excitedly, using the nickname absentmindedly. "You want me to call Casey?"

Olivia said nothing about the nickname. "Sure, and I'll call Melinda. It's been awhile since we've done anything with her. I bet she needs some down time, seeing as all she sees are dead people."

"Whoa! She can see dead people?" Dani deadpanned.

"She sees them everyday." Olivia replied without missing a beat.

Both Munch and Fin's eyes got huge. "What?" They exclaimed in unison.

The two female detectives snickered. "That's what you get for listening in on a conversation." Olivia announced. "Melinda. She's the mortician. Now stay out, this is girl talk." Dani and Olivia returned to making plans for the evening.

"Where do we want to meet?" Dani questioned, filing another paper.

Olivia thought for a moment as she stuck another folder into the cabinet. "My apartment. It's big enough to fit all four of us. Call Casey; tell her to meet us there at 5 o'clock. I'll call Melinda and tell her likewise. You all know how to get to my place, so it shouldn't be a problem. I'm staying at Elliot's old apartment."

"Done! Okay, sounds good. Yeah, I was at his apartment once. As soon as Casey and the Cap come back, I'll talk to her." Dani leaned back in her seat, finally done with her paperwork.

Munch and Fin were having their own conversation, not hearing anything the girls were saying.

"It's a conspiracy. They're plotting something." Munch whispered.

For once, Fin agreed. "Damn females." He muttered.

Munch grinned. "You like her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Dani."

"Don't be ridiculous." Fin waved his hand absentmindedly.

Munch chuckled. _Yes he is so screwed._ He winked at Olivia.

She smiled and stood up. "Yes, I'm finally finished! Sounds good Dani. I'm going to go talk to Melinda right now." She gave Dani a smile and grabbed Munch's arm. "Hey Munch, you want to tell me more about that conspiracy about Over the Hedge?" She dragged Munch out of the room with him sputtering in what he hoped sounded like confusion, leaving Dani and Fin alone in the room.

Fin just sat there wide eyed, Munch's voice still heard. Dani just shook her head, a soft smile on her face. His face relaxed after he realized that they weren't going to burst back into the room. He leaned back and smiled back at Dani. "So."

"So." She copied him, leaning back in her own chair and smirking at him. "Here we are."

"Alone." He said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

Dani just laughed. "Are you suggesting something, Detective Tutola?"

"Why? You offerin'?" He repeated his comment from earlier, this time being serious.

"Maybe I am." She said softly, her eyes never leaving his.

Fin didn't say anything; he just walked over to Dani and pulled her up to him. He hesitated slightly before kissing her gently. It was an ideal first kiss; tender, sweet, gentle, and unpresumptuous, and it left them both breathless.

Dani was the first to pull away. The drunken kiss with Elliot was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. She was dizzy with the unknown feeling and she didn't know what to say.

Fin just smoothed a hand over her wavy hair and smiled softly, his eyes crinkling a little at the corners. He released her and moved away, once again clacking away on his computer.

Dani just stood there, still in shock. She moved slowly over to where Fin was sitting, a smile still on his face. She placed her arms around his neck loosely and placed her chin on top of his head. He reached up and placed on hand on hers and used the other to type. Contentment filled the room and no words were needed to express what each was feeling.

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The moment Olivia and Munch were out of hearing range of the office, they burst out laughing. "Do you think it worked?" Olivia gasped out.

"I'm sure as hell not going back there to find out!" Munch replied, his eyes wide.

"Well, if it worked, you so owe me one hundred bucks." Olivia bantered, shoving him lightly.

"And if it didn't, you owe me." Munch pushed back just as lightly. "Now, go find Melinda. I'm going to go sulk on the roof. Maybe the thunder-god will have pity on me and hit me. Either that, or Cragen and Casey will come back." His eyes lit up at Casey's name.

Olivia hit his arm. "It's would actually be the lightening-god, and guess what, big bro? You have it just as bad as Fin does." She was in the elevator heading down to Melinda's office before he could reply. The last thing she saw before the doors closed was Munch's astonished face gaping like a fish out of water. _Two in one day. I'm on a roll. I wonder if Don is interested in anyone…_

The doors opened to the morgue and Olivia spotted Melinda bent over a microscope. A mischivious smirk crossed the detective's face, and she snuck up behind the examiner. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed Melinda's arms and yelled 'boo' at the same time.

Melinda shrieked, swinging around to see Olivia leaning on the table behind her, who was laughing so hard that tears were escaping. "Olivia Benson! Do NOT do that again! You DO realize that I work with _DEAD_ people, don't you?" She tried to catch her breath from her scare.

Olivia, still gasping for air and the tears still streaming down her face, finally stopped enough to explain. "That was the funniest thing that I've done in a long time. The look on your face." She sobered slightly at the angered look still on the examiner's face. "Eh, sorry Melinda. I actually did come down here for a reason."

"You have another body you need examined or something?"

"No, nothing like that. Dani, Casey, and I are going to have a girls' night and we want you to come as well."

"So I'm the afterthought? Geez, maybe I don't want to come."

"Melinda! Of course not! In fact, Casey has no clue as to our plans yet." Olivia said indignantly.

Melinda just laughed. "I'm _joking_, Benson. Of course I'll come. What time?"

"Five o'clock. You've been to Elliot's apartment, right?" When Melinda nodded, Olivia grinned. "That's where I live now. Bring a change of clothes if you have one here, because with us girls, you never know what will happen." Olivia extended the verbal invitation.

Melinda accepted Olivia's branch of friendship. "Sounds good. I'll see you at five then." She gestured to her microscope. "The sooner I get back to this, the sooner I'll be able to go. So scoot!"

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"Thanks Boss. Yes, we'll be there in five." Casey clicked her phone closed and returned it to her belt.

"So Casey, how are things going down in your side of the office?" The captain and the ADA were walking towards her office.

"Hell. I swear that my boss is Hitler reincarnated." Casey muttered, throwing Don a grin. "Just kidding about the Hitler remark. But seriously, about living hell. I can't do anything right for him. First I solve too many cases. But when I lose one, boy do I have hell to pay!" Casey was starting to fume.

Don just grinned. _ Wonder if John knows what he's getting into?_

Casey Novak's office was littered with papers and empty file folders. "Sorry about the mess." She muttered, stacking papers on one corner and folders on the other corner of her desk. "I haven't had much time to clean up." Her boss came barreling in at that moment.

"Miss Novak, why the blazes did you call me down here?!" He seethed, not noticing Cragen sitting in the corner of the office. Casey just raised an eyebrow and cocked her head in Don's direction. Her boss flushed slightly. "What can I do for you, Captain Cragen?"

"We have a dilemma." He said simply. "About one of our detectives."

The ADA captain nodded. "Stabler." He smirked at the shocked look on the other two's faces. "WP let me know about him already. They said that in no way was he to be part of the trial. You're covered. Defense won't even know that he's alive."

"There is still one problem, sir." Casey said slowly, pulling the file out of her briefcase and handing it to him.

He took the folder and flipped through it. "So?"

"That girl there?" She pointed to one picture. "That's Elizabeth Stabler. She was raped the other day and is in the hospital recovering."

"I see." Anyone could see that he was deep in thought. "As soon as we wrap the case, he can come home. Unless there is someone else out there." He eyed them from over the file before closing it and handing it back to Casey. "Don't worry, Novak. Detective Stabler won't be testifying. Detective Benson might have to, but Detective Stabler won't be. Now, if you will both excuse me, I have work to do and Novak has a case to plan." He left the office without a backwards glance.

Casey just sighed, annoyed beyond all belief. "Well that was helpful!" She growled.

Don pursed his lips in thought. "Don't let Olivia know that she might be required to testify. I don't want her to know unless it is imperative that she be involved."

Casey agreed. "Well, let's go back to the precinct. I have some things to run by Beck and Benson before I make the case against Jose." Her phone went off. "Hello? Oh, hi Dani. Olivia's apartment? 5 at the precinct? Sure, sounds great. Yeah, I'll be there." She smiled at Don who seemed confused. "Girl's night. Dani and Olivia's idea. Melinda is going to come, too." Don just nodded.

The pair headed back to the 1-6.

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The pair stayed in their position for 10 minutes with the exception of a 30 second phone call to Casey before Fin finished what he was typing. "Man, that takes twice as long when I have one hand available and an added, shall we say, 'distraction' in my presence." Fin stretched out the hand that had been typing for the past few minutes and tilted back his head, looking Dani in they eyes. "Well, Detective Beck. I'd say that we've earned ourselves a little break."

"And what sort of break do you have in mind, Detective Tutola?" Dani said coyly, a small smile gracing her features.

Instead of words, he reached up and gently pulled her face down to his. After a moment, he broke free and grinned.

"I see." Dani said, somewhat breathless. "That seems like a good break to me. Though, I'm not too fond of trying the Spiderman kiss." She maneuvered herself so that she was in front of him instead of behind him.

He pulled her down onto his lap and grinned at the little squeal she made. "Now I've got you exactly where I want you. And no spiders allowed."

Dani grinned, but didn't answer. She just framed his face with her hands and kissed him lightly. She wasn't surprised when he deepened the kiss and welcomed it gladly.

Neither of them heard the door bang open or the elevator ding. When they came up for air they saw four people in the room with them, two astonished, one gleeful, and the other disgruntled.

"Pay up, Munch." Olivia said gleefully. "I so called that one."

"What the blazes is going on in there?" Cragen demanded. Casey was beside him, her face a little green. Dani and Fin were turning red. Well, Dani was red, Fin was just darker than usual.

Munch grinned. "They were getting to know each other a little bit better, Captain." His arm found its way around Casey's shoulders who in turn slipped her arm around his waist, the look on her face slowly giving way to a brilliant smile.

Dani stood up quickly. "Casey, can Olivia and I have a short word with you, _outside_ the room?" She threw Fin an apologetic look before scurrying out the door with Casey and Olivia close behind.

The moment the door was closed, Casey smiled at Dani. "So, you and Fin, huh?"

Before she could reply, Dani's pager went off. She frowned and then broke out into a huge grin. "It's Fin. He wants me to rescue him." She looked at the other girls. "What do you say, guys? Should I go or make him suffer a bit?"

Olivia smirked. "Let him suffer. But that's my opinion. Think about how long I've worked with him."

"Save him." Casey said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"I'll go rescue him. See you guys tonight."

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AN: awwww!! This is FUN! We're almost done with the story! Two, three, maybe four more chapters unless I decide otherwise. Thanks to all who review!!

Elliot is coming back, I promise! EO forever!

And yes, there will be more scenes between Olivia and the Stabler kids.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: He still won't give it to me.

A/N: Okay, so here is the redone chapter! I like it a little bit better. Its not too different, just a few changed words, and a couple of added scenes. Its 10 pages on word instead of 7. lol!

Thanks to all my loyal supporters thus far!

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"So Elliot just threw the guy into the wall and stalked out, leaving me, the lawyer, and the suspect stunned." The girls were all at Olivia's apartment and were in tears over the story Olivia had just told about Elliot and his temper problem.

"All that was over a comment about his tie?" Dani was slightly shocked.

"Well, it was shortly after I started working with him. I guess his temper calmed down some in the past 8 years!" Olivia grinned.

"Oh, remember that one time when you and him came barreling into my office. Liv?" Casey gasped out, holding her sides.

"Which time, Case?" Olivia shot back. "You'll have to refresh my memory."

"Any of them."

They all burst out laughing again. "I think that it's time to eat. I'm getting hungry." Dani leaned back against the couch back.

Casey gave her a shove on the shoulder. "You're always hungry, Dani."

"Shuddup."

"Pizza's on its way." Melinda spoke up. It'll be here soon. I ordered as soon as I got here, just like you asked, Liv."

"Good!" Olivia rubbed her hands together as if she were plotting something. "What do you all say to pranking the guys when we're done eating?"

The evil glint passed through the other three's eyes. "Sounds like a good idea." Casey grinned. "I need to get John back for yesterday."

"Well I happen to know that they are all at Don's place. When he found out that we girls were having a party and that he wasn't invited, he decided to have his own party with John and Fin." Olivia divulged the information matter-a-factly.

Melinda smirked. "And I have the perfect plan."

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"How many drinks have you had, Fin?" Munch laughed at a very drunk Fin who was singing a bad rendition of a Brittney Spears song.

"I dunno." He slurred his words. "Maybe five or six? You've had more than me!"

"Have not!"

"Have too!"

"Have not!"

"Have too!"

"Detectives!" Cragen burst in. "You both have had way more than you should." He held his head in his hands. "What have I done?" He muttered.

"Man, it's a goo' thin' tha' the girls ain't here." Fin mumbled.

"Hell _hic_ yeah." Munch hiccupped.

Cragen just raised an eyebrow. "You guys are more than drunk. Your bloody smashed."

Munch slung an arm around the captain's shoulders. "Iz okay, cap. You don't haffta be jealous. You can have Melinda."

"Jealous? Melinda? What? She's like 20 years younger than me!" Cragen closed his eyes momentarily. _Must…not…strangle!_ "Besides, doesn't she have a boyfriend?" _Reminder to self: drunk Munch and Fin equals loss of ability to think!_

"Good point." Munch agreed sadly. "Too bad."

"Enough about my love life." Cragen ordered.

"Or lack thereof." Fin interrupted.

"Shut up." Cragen growled. _Must…refrain…from killing…them…I need…them…alive…_

"Hey, let's prank call the girls!" Munch yelled gleefully.

"Okay!" Fin agreed excitedly. Yes, those two were very drunk. And when two drunken guys with their very sober and disgruntled captain call their four favorite girls, chaos will ensue.

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Before the girls could pursue the idea of a prank, Olivia's door buzzed. "That would be the pizza. I'll be right back."

Shortly after Olivia left, her home phone began to ring. The three looked at it in confusion. "Should I answer that?" Dani questioned.

"Sure, why not?" Casey shrugged.

Dani paused, and then picked the phone up with a grin. "Olivia Benson's answering service, this is Dani Beck speaking. Who might I ask is calling?"

"Is your refrigerator running?" The voice was vaguely familiar.

"Of course it is." Dani said slowly.

"Then you'd better catch it!" The voice was giggling uncontrollably.

"John Daniel Munch!" Dani yelled. "Get off the damn phone when you're drunk!"

Casey burst out laughing. "Now I know what they're doing over there!" She held out her hand. "Let me talk to him."

Dani sighed and handed over the phone wincing at the whining protest at Dani's yelling on the other line.

"Hi John." Casey said sweetly. "I just want you to know that if you get sick from all that drinking, I am NOT taking care of you."

"Aww, Caseywasy!" He protested. "But I wov you!"

She grinned, amused at his drunken declaration, but kept her tone serious. "John, I'm serious. Hang up the phone, and stop drinking!" She hung up the phone emphatically and laughed. "Oh that was perfect. They are drunk out of their minds. Did you hear Fin in the background?"

Melinda and Dani were rolling on the floor laughing. "Poor Don! Imagine if Elliot were there!" Melinda exclaimed. Casey grinned and joined in the loud laughter.

"If Elliot were where?" Olivia came back in time to hear the last part of Melinda's statement, putting the pizza on the table.

"Munch just called, and he and Fin and both drunk out of their minds. He just asked if our refrigerator was running. I would almost bet anything that Don is sitting there ready to kill them."

Olivia grinned. "And you were saying that if Elliot were there…" She burst out laughing. "I don't think that I want to know what those guys would be doing if Elliot were there! There are angry drunks and there are happy drunks. And then there's Elliot."

The four of them burst out laughing again. "Well, if they call again, I want to answer the phone." Melinda said. "I know how to get them back!"

No sooner had she said that then the phone rang again. "It's payback time." Melinda then answered it with a wicked grin and in a sultry, flirty voice. "Sugar's house of Love. How might we be of service to you today?"

The other three girls had a hard time keeping the snorts of laughter inside.

SVUSVUSVUSVUSVU-_meanwhile, at Don Cragen's house…_(this is going at the same time as above. So John dropping the phone is after Casey hung up on him.)

John dropped the phone. "Awww, she hung up on me!"

"That's because you used the oldest and dumbest prank in the book! Man, it is so my turn!" Fin grabbed the phone from off the floor and punched in some numbers. "Listen and learn my friend."

"Sugar's house of Love. How might we be of service to you?"

Fin nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Ummm….is Olivia Benson there?"

"Is that her real name, sir?" He wasn't sure, but the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"Yes…" He said hesitantly.

"Okay, please hold a moment sir."

He thought her heard faint giggling in the background, but considering what place he had apparently called, that was to be expected. After a bit, another voice came onto the line.

"This is Olivia. How do you require my service today, Detective Tutola? Or do you want me to get Detective Beck?"

This time Fin did drop the phone. "How the hell did you know it was me!" He yelled, picking the phone up again.

Laughter greeted him. "We so got you back, guys! Booya!"

The phone clicked, and the dial tone sounded.

Munch was rolling on the floor snorting he was laughing so hard. "Oh, ho ho, Fin. That was hilarious!" Munch snickered. "Sugar's house of Love! That is great!"

"That's it." Don said. "It's my turn. I'm calling them in 30 minutes so they won't suspect us." The detectives were much more sober than they had been 20 minutes earlier. _Thank God! I'm not sure how much more of this state of drunkenness I can take!_

SVUSVUSVUSVU- _We now return to Olivia's apartment_

The girls were scarfing down pizza and root beer. They wanted to be completely sober this evening.

"Next time the phone rings, push the speaker button. That way, we all can hear it." Dani instructed.

"I'll answer it." Olivia said. "It's my house, so I get to answer it next." She finished off her fourth slice.

"Damn, girls! We finished off two pizzas!" Melinda chortled.

"Dani ate one of them!" Casey teased.

Dani threw a crust at the ADA who in turn threw a wadded up napkin at her. It missed and hit Olivia instead. Olivia gasped and threw her own crust at Casey, who ducked and it hit Melinda instead. With giggles abundant, wadded paper and pizza crusts began flying in all different directions.

A shrill ringing interrupted their play. "Shhhh!" Olivia ordered, walking to her phone and pressing speaker phone. "Benson."

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle Benson." A French accent greeted those listening on the speaker.

They all rolled their eyes, all of the recognizing the voice of Don Cragen. Olivia swallowed a laugh and answered him. "Oui, Monsieur? Ce qui peut j'aidez-vous avec?"

There was a pause, and then the man continued in faltering French. "Oui. Je dois parler avec Olivia Benson?"

"C'est elle. Est-ce que je peux demander qui appelle ?" Olivia smirked at the astonished looks she was receiving from the other three. She knew she would have to explain later.

"C'est, uh, George." The voice was faltering even more.

Olivia finally burst out laughing. "George, oui ? Bien, George, informent svp John et Fin que vous êtes terrible avec votre Français." With that, she clicked the speaker phone button off, thus ending the conversation.

She turned away from the phone but didn't meet any of the questioning pairs of eyes. "So, who's up for ghost stories?"

"How about you tell us where the hell you learned French?" Casey's eyebrows were up to her hairline.

"Yeah." Melinda and Dani said in unison.

Liv sighed. "Okay. It's simple, actually. I took some classes in high school and college. When I was put undercover for the 'tree huggers' case in Oregon, as Elliot called it once, one of the girls there spoke French. When I heard her speaking, it brought back what I knew, and then she taught me more. So I'm quite fluent now."

They just stared at her. "Well, you learn something new everyday about people." Dani said finally.

"Enough about me." Olivia said firmly. "Its sleepover time!"

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"French, Don?" Munch was astonished. "You speak French?"

"Only a little, but I was sure that Olivia didn't know French, so I thought that I could get her back with that. Apparently, I was wrong."

"Enough with the prank calls, I think." Fin said slowly. "I'm starting to get a headache anyway."

"You guys can crash here. The guest room is open and so is the couch." Don announced. "No one can go in my room!"

The two drunken men and one relieved, sober Captain all climbed into their individual beds to sleep, hoping that their hangovers, and in Don's case the dealing of the hangovers, wouldn't be too great.

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The girls had stayed up for three hours after the French episode with Don. Halfway through Runaway Bride though, they all fell asleep where they were sitting. The next morning, Dani was the first to wake up. She just stayed curled up in the chair she had slept in and slowly fell deep into thought. _What is happening? First, I'm obsessed over Elliot so much that I hate Olivia when she returns. Now that Elliot is gone, not only do I see that it never would've worked between us, but Olivia Benson and I are becoming friends. And even though I know now that he's still alive, I feel nothing for him other than friendship._ A soft smile crossed her face. _Fin. He's such a sweet man. He acts all rough and tough, but really, he's just a big softy. But no letting anyone know that! We can't destroy his precious reputation!_

Unbeknownst to her, curled up on the couch, Olivia was deep in her own thoughts. _El, what's going on? I almost feel guilty that Dani and I are getting along so well. I mean, c'mon! She tried to replace me as your best friend and partner!_ She blinked back tears. _But she didn't, did she? No, we were still the best of friends. And El, when you come back, I'm going to kill you for doing this to me, for putting me through the hell of missing you and tormenting myself over what I should've done. And when I'm done killing you, I am going to love you so much that you will never leave again!_

Casey stretched and groaned. "Is it time to get up yet?"

"No." Melinda grunted from her place on the floor.

"Actually, girls, it is time to get up." Olivia stood from her place on the couch. "I'll make coffee, and then we all must get ready for today."

Groans abundant, the girls all slowly pulled themselves from the couch, floor, and chair.

"I start the preliminary hearing today for Jose." Casey stated over coffee.

Dani and Olivia nodded. "Good. Let us know if we need to be there." Dani took a long sip of the sweetened coffee.

"Well, I gotta run. I have a huge itinerary for today." Melinda stated, placing her empty cup in the sink. "Thank you, Olivia. This was the most fun that I have had in a long time. Dead bodies don't party too well!"

They all laughed. "I'm going to head out as well." Casey said. "I need to prepare for the hearing. Thank you again, Olivia!" The door closed behind the two, leaving Dani and Olivia sitting on the stools in the kitchen. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Dani broke the silence first. "Olivia, I want to apologize."

She looked up in shock. "For what, Dani?"

"For trying to take Elliot." She looked down at her hands. "I realize now that he just isn't right for me." She met Olivia's astonished gaze. "He never stopped talking about you."

Olivia reached out and placed a hand on Dani's arm. "And I also must apologize. I would've come back sooner if not for you. If I hadn't seen you and El together at the precinct that day you first saw me, I would've asked for my job back. When I saw the two of you, I felt replaced. And I hated you for replacing me."

The two girls smiled. "All is forgiven then, right?" Dani asked.

"All is forgiven. Besides, you don't need my Elliot. You have Fin!" Olivia teased.

"Liv!" Dani threw her napkin at Olivia. "Sorry, Olivia. Forgot."

"Dani." Olivia's tone brought Dani's eyes to her face. "You can call me Liv. I let my friends call me Liv."

"Thanks, Liv."

This time, the silence that fell was a comfortable one. Olivia started thinking about the day. _I should go see Lizzy again._

After watching enjoying the silence for a bit, Dani set her cup down. "Well, I'm going to go prepare for the day and go over the evidence again. I'll call you if you're needed." She gave Olivia a knowing glance. "Go see Lizzy, Liv."

After the Dani left her apartment, Olivia decided that she would indeed go see Lizzy, this time off record.

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Liv opened the door and peaked in to make sure Lizzy was up. "Hey baby girl, how are you?"

"Hi Mom!" Lizzy sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "They won't let me out of bed yet. I wanted to get up and walk around, but the doctor said that I had to wait until my wounds healed." She paused. "Liv, why can't I feel my legs?"

Olivia frowned. "I don't know, honey. Maybe the medication you are on does that."

"Yeah, I guess so. So how are things down at the precinct?"

Olivia grinned. "Well, the preliminary hearing for your case is today."

Lizzy beamed. "Good! Casey is an amazing prosecutor. She'll win the case."

Olivia laughed. "You sound more and more like your dad everyday."

A sad smile crossed Lizzy's face. "I wish he were here, Mom. I wish that you two had gotten married. I wish…"

Liv placed a finger on Lizzy's lips. "Shhh, baby girl. Wishing for what can't happen won't make you any happier." She wished that she could tell Elliot's daughter that her father was still alive, but knew that that idea was a really bad one. She reached out and gathered the girl into her arms. "Oh, Lizzy."

"I miss Dad, Liv!" She began to sob.

Liv made soothing circles on Liz's back, comforting her. "Shhh, it's going to be okay. We will get through this." 10 minutes went by before Lizzy stopped crying. A knock at the door drew both pairs of eyes to it.

"Detective Benson." It was Lizzy's doctor. "Might I have a word with you?"

Olivia nodded. "I'll be back, Liz." She followed the doctor out of the room.

He closed the door and sighed. "We have come across some complications with Miss Stabler. The guy who did this to her stabbed her in the back, as you know. It turns out that the knife severed her spinal cord. Detective, she is paralyzed from the waist down. We don't know if she is going to regain the use of her legs."

Olivia's hand went to her mouth to shut out the cry that threatened to escape. She looked through the tinted window to the girl who had shut her eyes to rest a bit. _Oh, Lizzy. I wish your father could be here with you._ She smiled a sad smile at the doctor who was looking at her concernedly. "I'll be fine. If you want, I'll break the news to her."

The doctor nodded his consent. "If you need me, I'll be right down the hall." He watched as Olivia slowly walked back into the room.

Liv sat down beside Lizzy's bed, the occupant now asleep. She reached out and smoothed back the rumpled hair of the girl she loved as much as Elliot had. _Oh, El. We need you here so badly._ A noise at the door alerted her to another's presence.

Maureen stood at the door. "Hey, Liv." She whispered, not wanting to wake her little sister up. "I brought the family." She led Dickie and Kathleen into the room quietly.

Olivia stood and gave Elliot's oldest a warm hug. "Hello, Maureen." She repeated this with Dickie and Kathleen. "Kath, you are looking more and more like your mother." She whispered.

Kathleen just grimaced. "I know. I wish I looked like you." She grinned. "At least I have more your personality."

Liv let out a soft laugh. "That you do, dear Kathleen." She motioned for them to have a seat on the small couch sitting along the wall of the hospital room where they sat in absolute silence. Liv stood beside the couch, watching Lizzy sleep.

Maureen was the first to break the silence. "Hey, little sis." Her whispering voice cracked with emotion. "I know you want to see us, so we're going to stay here until you wake up."

"I'm awake, Maur." Lizzy didn't open her eyes but reached out towards her sister's voice. Maureen rushed to take her hand. "Mom, what the doctor have to say?" Olivia ignored the astonished look that crossed the three other Stabler's and gently picked up her other hand. When she didn't answer for a bit, Lizzy sat up and opened her eyes. "Liv?"

Olivia looked Lizzy in the eyes and a tear escaped. "Lizzy, the doctor said that the knife severed part of your spinal cord."

"I won't walk again, will I, Mom?" Lizzy broke in with a whisper, tears filling her eyes.

Olivia closed her eyes to hold back the flood of tears. Her voice choking with emotion, she managed to say one word. "No."

"Oh Liv." Lizzy broke down completely. Maureen, Kathleen, and Dickie all crowded around Lizzy and embraced her.

Olivia stood back a little ways to give them privacy. For the first time since she started dating Elliot, she felt out of place with the Stabler kids. But the feeling didn't last long when she found Maureen beside her. "C'mon _Mom_." She stressed mom with a smile. "Let's go talk."

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AN: There…its longer since I screwed up last time:D

Translations:

_Ce qui peut j'aidez-vous avec What can I you help with_

_Oui. Je dois parler avec Olivia Benson Yes. I must speak with Olivia Benson_

_C'est elle. Est-ce que je peux demander qui appelle This is she. May I ask who calling_

_C'est, uh, George This is, uh, George._

_George, oui ? Bien, George, informent svp John et l'aileron que vous êtes terrible avec votre Français George, yes? Well, George, please inform John and Fin that you are terrible with your French._


	12. Chapter 12

AN: So, is the apology accepted? Well, here's the next chapter. And seeing as its called Christmas time in New York, I guess I should get to the Christmas part soon, huh? Don't worry; it'll be there by the time Christmas rolls around. I might even have a chapter on Christmas, but it all depends on if I have internet or not… Lol

Disclaimer: If SVU were mine, do you honestly think I'd be sitting here writing fanfiction about it??

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Maureen decided that the hospital cafeteria would be the best place to talk since it was only 9:30 in the morning and everyone had already eaten breakfast and lunch wasn't served until 11. She waited for Olivia to sit at the table she had chosen before speaking.

"So Lizzy called you Mom." She stated simply. "Why?"

Olivia was expecting the question. What she wasn't expecting was the tone Maureen was saying it in. She seemed guarded, almost unsure. Liv sighed. "We had a talk that first day in the hospital. You guys weren't there, I'm not sure if you had been told at that point." She proceeded to tell Maureen about her and Lizzy's conversation.

A smile crossed Maureen's face. "Good. I just had to make sure that her medication wasn't making her hallucinate or something!" She leaned back and gave Olivia the same shit-eating grin that Elliot always gave.

Olivia smirked back. "What do you think about it?"

"What, calling you mom?" Maureen questioned. "Sounds great. I mean, you were gonna marry dad someday, weren't you? That would make you my step mom, and since I like you more than my own mother, it works. So, Mom, what do you say to having Christmas with the Stabler's this year?" Maureen didn't give Olivia time to but into her little speech before asking about Christmas.

Olivia's head was spinning. "Your dad and I never talked about getting married, Maureen."

"But you were going too, eventually. Believe me, Mom. He dragged me to the mall to look at rings 'just in case'." She laughed at Olivia's stunned expression. "So what about Christmas?"

Olivia gathered her wits enough to manage a "yes, I'll come for Christmas." Her head was still spinning, and she couldn't process the information Maureen had thrown at her. "Just in case?"

Maureen just laughed. "Let's go back to Lizzy. It wasn't really my place to tell you about Dad. I just know that he wanted to marry you." They both stood up, Maureen with tears in her eyes.

Olivia reached out and pulled Maureen into a side hug as they started walking. "Well, it might comfort you to know that I wanted to marry him." She whispered. _Still do, but she can't know he's alive._

Maureen wrapped her arm around Olivia's waist. "It does comfort me, especially since you seem to care so much for us." They walked in a comfortable silence back to Lizzy's room. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Maur."

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While Olivia and Maureen were having their special talk, Dickie and Kathleen were giving Lizzy the third degree.

"Mom? Are you hallucinating, Liz?" Dickie asked his twin incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. "No, dork-o. I am not hallucinating. If I was, I would've walked out of the hospital and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'm perfectly fine."

"So why did you call her mom, Lizzy?" Kathleen asked in her soft voice.

Lizzy sighed. "Because she's more of a mom to me than Kathy was! Momsie dearest doesn't want us, remember Kath? So she's been replaced by someone Dad loved and who loves us despite the fact that he's gone." Lizzy's voice was laced with anger and annoyance. "

Kathleen held up her hands in defeat. "Calm, little sister. I was just wanting to know." She sat on the side of her sister's bed and placed a hand on Lizzie's shoulder. "Olivia is the best thing that has every happened to our family. Dad was happiest with her, and so are we."

"I'm glad she's still around." Dickie broke in quietly. The two sisters looked at him in surprise. "Even though Dad is gone, we still have Liv. And I agree with you. She's more of a mom than Mom ever will be."

The door opened as he finished his comment. "Hello, kids." Maureen poked her head into the room before her and Olivia walked in. "I'd like you all to meet Mom."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Please, Maureen. I'd like not to pressure…"

"Hi Mom!" Olivia was cut off by a chorus of four voices speaking two words that brought tears to her eyes.

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"And bail is set at $500,000. All passports will be confiscated and any means of exiting the country will be eliminated. Mr. Rodriguez, you do realize that if you attempt to leave Manhattan, that there will be no hope for you and you will receive 25 to life?"

"He understands your honor." Jose Rodriquez's lawyer spoke for him.

The judge whacked his gavel down on his desk. "Case dismissed. Next!"

Casey stood up and organized her files inside her briefcase. The defense lawyer glared at her. "You have no hope in this, Miss Novak."

"I beg to differ, Mr. Jackson." Casey stated coldly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to see to." She walked out of the courtroom without a backwards glance. She was met outside by Dani.

"So how did it go?" Dani asked, her gloved hands stuffed into her coat pockets.

"We got the bail set at half a million, but he won't be able to pay that. He can't leave Manhattan. We've got him in the bag." Casey blew on her free hand before switching her briefcase over to it. "Damn, its cold out here! Do you feel like coffee?"

Dani smiled. "Every second of every day."

"That's my line!" Casey teased. "Let's go and pick something up for Olivia as well. I'm sure she'll welcome it. And besides, I'd like to go see Lizzy again. Off record, of course." She added for good measure.

Dani grinned. "One white chocolate mocha coming up for Miss Benson!" The pair walked into Starbucks with smiles on their faces. Life was defiantly looking up.

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With the five of them crowded onto Lizzy's bed, the four Stabler's spent the next hour convincing Olivia that she was as much as a part of the family as Elliot had been. "Mom! C'mon!" Maureen was getting frustrated. "We wouldn't be telling you this if it wasn't true!"

Olivia just shook her head. "Eventually, you guys are going to remember that I'm not your mom, or your mom will find out that you call me Mom instead of her, and she'll come back and murder me in my sleep. Either way, it can't be a good idea. One of you I could handle. All four of you…" She just let her voice trail off at the glares she was receiving.

"Mom." Dickie tried to reason next. "You and Dad were going to get married. I know you two were. And when you did, I would've called you Mom. Nothing is going to change my mind."

"Me either." Kathleen stated her voice still soft.

Lizzy just stared at Olivia with those blue eyes so much like Elliot's.

Olivia caved. "Fine. But if I wake up one of these days and find that your mom murdered me…"

All four of them rolled their eyes. "Mom, if she murdered you, you wouldn't be awake!" They called out in unison.

Olivia just laughed and pulled the kids into a huge group hug. "I love you guys." She whispered.

"We love you too." Kathleen whispered back. Dickie nodded in agreement.

The door swung up. "Behold, we come bearing coffee for Detective Benson!" Dani's cheerful voice sounded through the room. "Hello, Lizzy. How are you feeling?"

Lizzy watched her warily. "I'm fine, Detective."

Olivia jumped up and accepted the coffee gratefully. She took a careful sip and sighed happily. "White chocolate mocha! Oh how did you know it was my favorite!"

"I have a good memory." Dani smirked, drinking her chai gleefully.

Casey came through the door, holding her peppermint coffee in her right hand. "Hello, Stabler family!" She smirked at Olivia. "I'm looping you in that greeting."

Olivia rolled her eyes heavenward. "Did everyone know that Elliot was going to propose but me?"

"He was going to propose?" Dani and Casey said in unison.

Olivia buried her face in her hands while the four kids snickered from the bed. "According to Maureen he was. She said he made her go to the mall with him to find a ring 'just in case.'"

Dani and Casey joined the kids in laughing at Olivia, who just turned even redder and occupied herself with her coffee.

A nurse stuck his head inside the room. "Miss Stabler?"

"Which one?" Three voices called out.

The nurse rolled his eyes. "Elizabeth."

"That would be me." Lizzy raised her hand. "Hence the ugly hospital gown." She said sarcastically.

The nurse came in holding a small bouquet of flowers and a card. "I was asked to deliver these to you." He left as abruptly as he came.

Lizzy looked confused. "Who would send me something?"

Olivia felt a bit sick to the stomach. She shared a glance with Dani and Casey. _He couldn't have sent something! He wouldn't have!_

She was wrong.

The heart monitors attached to Lizzy began to beep faster. "How is this possible?" The card dropped to the bed and the other three Stabler kids attacked it. "Mom? Dad's still alive?"

Olivia felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. "Guys, I was told not to tell you." She sighed, the look in the kids' eyes too much for her to handle. She lowered her voice and they leaned in close. "He's in the WPP. That's all I can tell you."

They all nodded, understanding the need for secrecy. The flowers and card were enough for Elliot's kids…for now.

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_Maybe I shouldn't have sent the flowers._ Pacing resumed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. _But my daughter needed to know that her father still cares for her!_ He reasoned with himself. He groaned, sitting down on the falling apart couch. When he closed his eyes, he could still see his kids and Olivia in his mind's eye. _Oh, Liv. I love you, dearest. I am so sorry for putting you through this._

His mind went back to a day that in reality wasn't that long ago, but felt like an eternity ago.

**Flashback**

Elliot and Olivia were cuddling on the couch in Olivia's apartment, relaxing after a hard case from earlier that day. A movie was on, A Walk to Remember, but neither of them was watching it. They were too busy with each other. Elliot's fingers were running through her hair and her hands were playing with the edge of his shirt sleeves. "El?" Olivia murmured. "Promise me something."

"Anything." He said sincerely.

"Promise that no matter what, you'll be there." She turned her intense mocha eyes towards his crystalline blue.

He reached out and stroked her cheek gently with his fingers before kissing her gently. "I promise, Liv. I told you that I would give you my kidney. Well you've taken much more than that, dear one. You have taken my heart, and I gladly gave it to you. I will always be with you."

Olivia sighed contently, her answer received. She didn't quite catch the underlying statement that held the idea that something might happen to him. She didn't want to believe it.

**End flashback**

The man sitting on his couch wiped his eyes. _Have I broken my promise? God, please forgive me!_

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A knock at the door brought two more visitors to Lizzy's room. "Lizzy, I hope you get out of this conspiracy trap soon!"

"Munch!" Olivia, Dani, Casey and Fin all chorused, annoyed.

Lizzy just laughed. "Hiya, Uncle John! Hey Uncle Fin! Please tell me that you brought me something to eat other than the mush they serve in place of food!"

Munch shook his head solemnly. "Sorry, my dear. All the fast food joints have been taken over by ET and his friends. Ouch! Fin!" He rubbed the spot where Fin had punched him.

"Man, cut it out." Fin glared at Munch before handing out the bag of Taco Bell to the hungry girl. "Here you go, baby girl."

Lizzy wrenched a burrito out of the bag and impatiently bit into it. "Ohhhh!" She sighed. "I'm in heaven. Thank you Fin." She warbled around a mouthful of bean, cheese, and tortilla. He just smiled at her before pulling Dani to his side.

Casey was trying not to look at Munch, who in turn was trying not to look at Casey. Maureen noticed this and nudged Olivia. "Liv, what's going on with them?" She whispered.

"They're in love, they just won't give into the feelings." She whispered back, glaring at Munch who gave a 'what did I do?' look in return.

"Well, we're just going to have to 'help' it along!" Maureen said gleefully.

"Oh dear." Olivia muttered with a grin. "Here comes the matchmaker!"

All she received in return was that shit-eating grin that Elliot's eldest had inherited from him.

The other three Stabler kids just shook their heads. "They're nuts." Dickie whispered. His sisters agreed. "Let's play cards." He pulled a deck out of his pants pocket and the three of them settled down to play.

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Unbeknownst to any of our SVU family, some one else was pacing the shadows. "I will get you, Olivia Benson." The voice threatened the still air menacingly as the shadow shook its fist at the sky. "I will get you and your precious Elliot too. The feds can't hide him forever. It's only a matter of time before I find him."

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AN: Booyah!! Isn't this fun?? You know the drill!! REVIEW!! Kudos to anyone who guesses who is the shadowy figure!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Well, I want it, but I can't have it. So I settle for writing fanfiction.

AN: Ha..ha..ha…(chuckles nervously, grimaces, and dodges rotten tomatoes and bricks) So here's the next chapter. Sorry!!!!

Oh, and good job to those who guessed who the shadow was correctly. You know who you are!

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"Maureen, we are NOT intervening!" Olivia hissed, trying not to draw attention to them.

"Oh, yes we are!" Maureen hissed back with a smile. "I don't get to play matchmaker for you and Dad, so I'll settle for John and Casey."

Olivia just buried her face in her hands and groaned.

"I've gotta run, guys." Casey looked around. "I need to be at the courtroom in about 20 minutes. Take care, Lizzy. I'll call you, John, when I'm done with the trial."

"Okay, Case. I'll see you then." He looked over at Olivia, who had her face in her hands. "You okay Liv?"

She looked up to see Munch looking at her carefully. "I'm fine, Munch. Just fine." Her pager suddenly went off. She checked the number and frowned. "Dani, do you recognize this number?" Dani shook her head so Olivia turned to Munch and Fin. "Guys?"

"Nope, never seen it before." Fin eyed it suspiciously. Munch just shook his head.

"Let me see, Liv." Maureen's eyes narrowed slightly at the number. "Liz, how would mom's boss have Liv's number?"

Elizabeth snatched the pager out of her sister's hand and paled slightly. "Don't call it, Liv. He'll find you. He'll find us!" She started panicking. "Don't, Mom, please don't!"

"Liz, calm down!" Maureen shouted, Kathleen and Dickie were both trying to hold their frantic sister down.

"C'mon, sis. Calm down!" Dickie tried to reason with his twin but received a death glare instead.

"Dickie, don't you get it!" She looked around at the flabbergasted group. "He's trying to find where you are. Mom told him all about you, Liv. And most of it wasn't true. And now he's out for revenge."

"And how would you know this, Lizzy?" Kathleen shot out. "None of us have seen Mom for a couple of months."

"Because of what she said before she kicked us out!"

**Flashback**

_Ring!_ The phone jingled its annoying song. "I'll get it!" Lizzy shouted.

"Don't even think it, Elizabeth Stabler!" Her mom screamed before picking up the phone.

Lizzy frowned. _What's up Mom's butt?_ She decided to evesdrop on the conversation. It wasn't hard seeing as her Kathy Stabler was yelling at whoever was on the phone.

"Damn it, Keith! I don't care how long it takes you! You are going to find Olivia Benson! Yes, she still works at the 16th precinct. No, she didn't change her name, and she is NOT a Stabler! God, Keith! How hard is it to track a woman who is still in the same city she has been for the past 8 years! You listen Keith, and you listen good. You WILL find her, and you will KILL her just like I want you to. You will make her suffer for what she did to me. Yes, Keith. Exactly. And Keith. Do NOT mess this up! If you can't find a woman that hasn't moved or changed her name, than you are more than incompetent, you are worthless."

Lizzy fled to her room the moment she heard the phone slam down. _Mom wants to kill Olivia?_ She barely had time to register this fact when Kathy stormed into the room.

"Elizabeth, if you repeat any of what you heard, you will be next." Kathy said menacingly, bending down to growl in her daughter's face. "I know that you heard me, because you are so much like your father, ever the detective. If you value your life, you won't repeat this to anyone, especially Olivia Benson." She spat the name as if it were venom. "I want you out of my house, Elizabeth. The rest of the kids are gone, even Dickie. So go be with those who actually want you. You will be out by sundown, or I will pick you up and throw you out. You are no longer welcome in my house."

Lizzy barely had time to comprehend what Kathy was saying before she was slapped and Kathy stormed out of the room. She sat there for five minutes before shaking her head slightly and hurried about the room packing what she held most dear. A call to Maureen was in order; only with the conversation Kathy had had with Keith would be left out. Lizzy couldn't remember a time when she had felt so scared. Usually, this type of thing happened at her dad's job, not here at home. Her mind felt numb as she thought about what her mom had said. _You are no longer welcome in MY house._ She closed her eyes in fear. _Olivia is going to die, I know it, and I can't do anything about it!_

**End flashback**

Lizzy was in hysterical tears at the end of her story and the detectives were standing there in shock. Maureen, Kathleen, and Dickie were all holding Lizzy. Casey was the first to recover. "You'll have to be put in Witness Protection."

"No." Olivia said adamantly. "If I go under, than Kathy will know that Lizzy told us, and she'll go after her before finding me. And before you say it, no, I will not let you put the Stabler kids in the Program." She made eye contact with the other three detectives. "We will act as if nothing has happened. In the mean time, we will find this Keith, what was his last name, Liz?"

"Anderson." Was the muffled reply.

"Keith Anderson. We will also keep an eye on Kathy Stabler." Olivia said firmly. She turned to Lizzy. "Liz, honey, none of this was your fault. I do not blame you, I never will. Your mom is the one at fault. Even if she or Keith manages to put me in the hospital, I will not blame you. You had every right to be scared."

She waited until Lizzy had nodded before turning to the other three adults. "We need to call Don, no, wait. Let's go back to the station and talk to him. Tell him to check for bugs, but tell him in a way so that if there IS a bug, they won't know that we know. Once we know that the place is secure, we will talk, but only then."

The three adults moved to leave, while Olivia turned to the kids. "I love you all, don't forget that. We will be back later to talk." Then she too left the room. _I need to talk to Huang and have him come to talk to Lizzy._

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The four detectives had never felt this sense of intense uneasiness. What if Keith had already found Olivia and was just waiting for the right time? Or perhaps Keith had failed and was already disposed of, leaving Kathy Stabler the one now searching. Either way, they all had to be careful as to how they proceeded.

They trooped into Don's office and began to search for any bugs. Don stood up. "Excuse me?"

"We're examining for…" Olivia paused, wondering what word to use. "An _infection_." She stressed infection, hoping he would catch on. At his widening eyes, she guessed that he did.

"What sort of _infection?_" He asked cautiously.

"A dangerous one." Fin replied.

"I think I found the source." Munch carefully held out the mic and went to cut the line. Olivia stopped him and shook her head. He nodded, understanding.

"No, there are more sources of this infection." Dani muttered, holding out two.

Don sank into his chair. _How long have they been there?_ He looked up and something caught his eye. _That had better not be a camera._ He stood up on the chair in the corner and examined the plant on top of the shelf.

The other four noticed what he was doing and looked at each other. _ A camera_ was the thought going through all their minds.

Don took a piece of paper out and some tape. Standing on his desk again, he swiftly covered the camera and taped it in place. He nodded to the others to cut the microphone lines. Once they had cut the lines, Don spoke. "The camera isn't a sound camera. It only picks up the image, I checked.

"The only person who I know that has access to both mic's and the precinct is one I'm sure that we're all thinking of." Munch said slowly.

"Kathy Stabler." The other four said in unison, looking at each other with trepidation.

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Kathy was enjoying the conversation she was listening to inside Don's office. _An infection indeed. They figured out about the bugs. Its about time. Do they honestly think that being married to a detective for that many years that I wouldn't pick up some skills?_ She grinned, watching them move around the office trying to find the bugs. Things were just about to get interesting when the screen suddenly went black. She stood up, her eyes wide. _They found the camera? Did I not hide it well enough?_ All she knew is that her secret was now out and she had to move before they found her.

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It hadn't taken long to trace the receiver. It was close by, surprisingly enough. The four detectives had their guns out and ready. They were outside the door of a room in the basement of the precinct. "One, two, three!" Dani mouthed. Fin broke the door down and the four of them circled the room. "By the window!" Dani yelled.

Munch sprinted towards the window and pulled the figure down from trying to escape. "Well, well, well. Hello Kathy." He held his gun on her. "Stand. Now." She obeyed, glaring at Olivia as she walked up.

"So you actually thought that you could kill me?" Olivia sneered in her interrogation room voice. "And hiding in the basement of the precinct? I would have thought that being married to a detective all those years would have made you a little smarter than that."

"You think that you are so smart, Olivia Benson." Kathy snarled. "I'll get you still. Don't think that I don't have connections."

"And look where they've gotten you, Kathy." Another shadow stepped out.

"Keith, what are you doing here! I thought I told you to get lost!" The venom was dripping from her voice. "You couldn't handle a simple task!"

He ignored her. "Next time, Detective Benson, call the page back. Luckily for you, you were smart enough to figure it out. Not all the people I work with are that smart." He held out his badge. "Roger Gunnerman. FBI."

"You jackass!" Kathy struggled to get out of Munch's grip.

"Benson, Beck, Tutola, a little help here?" Munch grated out, trying not to lose his both his grip on her or his family jewels.

"Kathy Stabler, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Olivia Benson." Fin glared at the struggling woman. "Anything you say and do will be held against you in a court of law." He finished his speech as he roughly hauled her to her feet and pushed her towards the door.

"I'll get you, Olivia Benson! I'll find my husband and I'll get both of you!" She shrieked as she was led out of the basement and up the stairs.

"I take it she knows that Elliot is alive?" Dani muttered, putting her gun in her holster.

"Yes, she does." Roger stated simply. "Believe me, hearing her plans about what she was going to do to the both of you was NOT pretty to hear!"

Munch jumped as his pager went off. "Its Casey, she should be done with the trial by now." He took his phone out and placed the call.

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While the detectives were heading to the precinct, Casey was on her way to the courtroom. "Oh, goodie. Another trial!" She muttered as she walked into the courtroom. She nodded her greetings to the jury, judge, and the defense attorney and opened her briefcase. _Let's make this short, sweet, and to the point._

The trial was indeed short. The evidence was presented and the defense lawyer had a hard time trying to prove Jose was innocent, especially with the tape the detectives had recovered from the apartment.

"We will take a 10 minute recess before giving the verdict." The judge announced before slamming his gavel down.

The 10 minutes crawled by for Casey. She knew that the jury would call him guilty, but she wasn't sure how Jose would take it. Another shooting in the courtroom was not what she was looking forward to. She stood when she saw the jury re-enter the room.

"Has the jury found a verdict?" The judge asked.

The spokesman looked up. "We have, your honor."

"Then in the count of first degree murder, how do you find the defendant?"

"We find him, guilty, your honor."

"And with the count of first degree rape, how do you find the defendant?"

"We find him, guilty, your honor."

"Then may the court find him guilty on both accounts, and may he be charged with 25 to life in a high security prison. Case dismissed." The slam of the gavel resounded through the courtroom.

Surprisingly enough, Jose allowed himself to be led out of the room. Casey let out a sigh of relief and picked up her briefcase. Heading out to her car, she dialed Munch's pager number.

A minute later, he called her back. _Hi Case, how did the trial go?_ She smiled at the sound of his voice. "Tell Liv we won. El can come home."

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"Yahoo!" Munch yelled, grabbing Olivia around the waist as well as he could with one arm and whirled her around. "We won, Livvy dear! Elliot can come home!"

Olivia laughed with Munch but when he announced that Elliot could return, she froze. "He can come home?" She whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Hang on, Case." He put the phone down and embraced his 'sister'. "Yes, Liv. He can come home soon."

Olivia just burst into tears and ran up the stairs. He stared after her. "Hey Case, I'm back." _How did she take it?_ "She took it well." He nodded to Roger, Dani, and Fin and the four of them headed up the stairs. _What did she do?_ "She burst into tears and ran up the stairs." _Where is she going?_ "I'm guessing the roof. It's where she goes when she wants to be alone."

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Casey smiled. "She and Elliot are a lot alike in that respect. They both want to show their extreme emotions in private." _ Yes, but still, Case. I don't want her to be alone._ "She won't be, John. Elliot is coming home soon." _Yes, as usual, you are probably right. She'll be fine._ "I'm always right, John." She laughed. "I'll see you soon, I'm almost at the precinct." _ Alright, I'll see you soon._ "Bye, John." She clicked her phone shut and smiled. Elliot was coming home.

She parked and headed into the precinct. Inside, she was met with joyous laughter and talking.

"Casey!" Don bellowed. "Nice of you to join us! Heard the good news about the case. Good job there, Counciler."

She grinned. "Just doing my job, Captain."

Olivia emerged from the stairwell. "Casey, good to see you." She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and beamed at her friend. "Thank you." She whispered, enveloping her friend in a hug.

Casey returned the hug and whispered back. "Anything for you, Liv."

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_Kathy, Kathy, Kathy._ Elliot just shook his head when he got the report of what his ex-wife had been up to. He had the FBI agent Gunnerman to thank for the update. However, he wasn't told if he could go home yet. All Gunnerman would tell him is that it wasn't a good idea yet. He accepted this grudgingly, but was counting the days until he could be free. He hoped Casey was on the case, because he knew that she could win it. _Hurry up, Novak!_

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AN: Well, I was going to end the story when Elliot came back, but I realized that Christmas hasn't happened yet. So you guys get more than just 'one more chapter' you get at least two! Huzzah!! Luckily for you guys, I finished this BEFORE my wisdom teeth extraction. I'm surprised I'm able to post this. Vicoden is a VERY good thing. LOL!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: LOOK!! two chapters in one day! This chapter was going to be the last one, but I need to put Christmas in here! So I decided instead to dedicate this chapter to all you who have been there since day one, and also any of those wonderful readers who have ALSO been hounding me to bring back Elliot:

Obsessedwithstabler

Hkitty9013

LivNel4ever

Sweet-4-Stabler

Onetreefan

Phantomliberty

You all rock!!!! Now on with the chapter!

(Think about that scene in rent where Roger sings one song glory. That's where Elliot is. That's where I put him…that building in RENT, and he lives in the loft, in case no one caught that in earlier chapters. Yeah, I'm a nutcase, I know. :-D )

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The night sky was cloudy and starless. The area was illuminated with the lights from the buildings and the air was filled with the sounds of the busy city. Elliot was leaning against the railing of the roof of his apartment building thinking. Not a day passed when he didn't think about Olivia. He smirked when he thought about what this felt like.

_Maybe this is how Roger felt when he couldn't find Mimi. Alone, scared, and lonely. Only he had Mark. Who do I have? No one. It's almost Christmas, and I'm alone. What a way to spend the holiday._

With a sigh, the Witness Protection trapped detective turned from the rail and headed back down the stairs to the loft. He didn't see the small light in the staircase below; he was too intent on making it back to the loft to try and warm up.

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When Olivia first heard the news that Elliot could come home, she went up to the roof and cried. Once she was over the emotional part of her feelings, she put in the request to go and inform him personally. At first, Brass hesitated due to the 'personal' feelings she might have. But when Don got involved, permission was granted for Olivia to go to Elliot.

So she waited in the stairwell of the apartment building on the corner 11th street and Avenue A with a small lit candle. She was going to take a chance and surprise him with a scene from their favorite musical. After about 10 minutes of waiting, she heard a door slam from upstairs and then the telltale sounds of a man stomping down the stairs. She barely got a glimpse of his face before he slid the loft door open and closed it behind him. Liv smiled, and blew the candle out. It was show time.

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He hadn't been in the loft for more than 10 seconds before he heard a knock on the sliding door. He paused, a confused look on his face, before he turned and slid the door open. "What'd you want?

She held out the candle. "Got a light?" Olivia smirked at the look that crossed his face.

He couldn't believe his eyes. The woman he had been dreaming about for the past 5 months was standing before him with an unlit candle. The scene played out in his mind. She was playing out the scene where Roger and Mimi first talked. He decided to play along. "I know you, you're…you're shivering."

_He took the bait!_ She thought excitedly, knowing he recognized the song immediately. "It's nothing, they turned off my heat. And I'm just a little weak on my feet."

He slid his jacket over her shoulders, his fingers brushing her cheek gently.

She continued. "Would you light my candle? What are you staring at?"

Elliot took his lighter out as he said the next line. "Nothing, you're hair in the moonlight. You look familiar." He smiled as she stumbled. "Can you make it?"

She smirked at him. "Haven't eaten much today, at least the room stopped spinning anyway. What?" He was staring at her again.

He shook his head, as if clearing it. "Nothing. Your smile reminded me…"

"I always 'remind people of'. Who is she?"

Elliot couldn't take it any more. "You. Oh my Olivia."

And she was in his arms. They clung to each other like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. "Oh, Elliot." She breathed before he kissed her fiercely. She leaned into the kiss and poured into it all the emotions she had felt since she found he was still alive. His hands came up and framed her face as he moved away slightly and smiled at her. She smiled back and pulled him back to her.

For Elliot, it was like coming home. He pulled her even closer to him and ended the kiss, keeping his face as close to hers as possible. "I've missed you, Liv." He whispered softly. "I'm sorry, so sorry for leaving you like that."

She halted his words with searing kiss. "El, I understand." She whispered back. "The point is that you are home. But…" She moved back enough to reach back and slap him. He held his cheek in shock. "That is for leaving me like that." She smiled before kissing the place that she had slapped. "And this is so you never leave me again." She met his lips again and he eagerly accepted her kiss. She parted her lips and was instantly met with his tongue gently brushing her own. She gave in and the two of them began a serious game of tonsil hockey.

One hand found its way into Olivia's hair while the other one traveled downward slowly until he reached the hem of her shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as he inched his hand under the shirt. "El." She breathed, her hands moving to his face. "Not here. I promise, later. But not here."

He pulled back reluctantly. They smiled at each other before kissing once more. "We should go." Elliot said breathlessly. "I'm sure the others want to see me. But more importantly, I want to see my kids."

He reached out to her and she took his hand willingly. "What about your stuff?"

"My agent will take care of it. He told me that when I could go home that I wouldn't have to worry about it. Let's go, I want to see the rest of my family."

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They didn't go to the hospital. Olivia's phone rang just as they reached her car. With an apologetic look, she answered the call. "Benson."

"Munch." Came a joking voice. "So, Liv. How's the El man?"

"He's fine, Munch." Her voice came out strained. "Is there a point to this call? Because if there is, you had better reach it in the next five seconds."

"Okay, okay!" Munch defended himself. "Captain wants you both to come down to the station. And before you say "but Elliot wants to see his kids" the captain knows that, but he regrets to tell you that you both are needed down at the station. How far out are you?"

"We're in Alphabet City, Munch. 20 minutes tops." She replied. "Any idea why he needs us?" She exchanged a concerned look with Elliot.

"Yes, but you need to be here. No use trying to explain over the phone."

Before Olivia to make a reply, Munch had hung up the phone.

"So, the station?" Elliot grinned.

"The station." Olivia sighed, getting into the driver's seat. "Let's go."

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"Yes, but you need to be here. No use trying to explain over the phone." Munch hung the phone up as soon as he had finished his sentence. He laughed. "Woot! They are on their way!"

Once the SVU family had found out that Elliot could come back, they had decorated the office with balloons, streamers, and banners. Dani had cleared her desk out and had already moved back into her desk down at Warrants, but she had returned to see Elliot and have fun at the party, as well as spend time with Fin. The moment she had returned after moving back to Warrants, he appeared by her side and didn't leave it. He was holding onto her hand tightly, as if saying 'don't leave me' to Dani. She squeezed his hand, almost reassuring him and smiled up at him. He rewarded her with a smile that he used only for her and kissed her lightly.

A huge cake baked by Melinda, no wonder, was sitting on the middle of Elliot's desk. Munch and Fin were busy teasing her about a mortician making a cake and if it was safe to eat it. It could have body parts in the mix. When Munch made that comment, she threatened to dismember him bit by bit with her scalpel. Casey stepped in and stopped her from causing Munch any bodily harm, saying that if he made another comment he would have her to deal with. The pair exchanged grins, leaving Munch feeling a bit worried.

Even Huang was there, and was happy not only that Elliot was back, but that Olivia didn't have a reason to see him any more as a patient. Seeing her for work was one thing, but seeing her as a patient was difficult to say the least. He mulled over what she had requested of him. He would go see Lizzy if Elliot's return didn't help her mood. But perhaps he would go see her anyway.

Don took to pacing about the room. He had made about ten laps around the room before he was sent to his office by the others, claiming that he was making them sick. So now he was stuck in his office, with nothing to do. Instead of pacing, since his office was a bit too small for that, he took to crumpling paper and playing basketball with the waste basket. 10 minutes later, Dani stuck her head in. "They are on their way. They'll be here in about 20 minutes. Turns out that they put Elliot in Alphabet City." She left the room and shut the door. He scratched his bald head. "Alphabet City. Wow."

Outside of Don's office, they were all waiting with restless eagerness for the arrival of Elliot and Olivia. They were all frantically running around with the last minute preparations for his welcome back bash. The 20 minutes couldn't pass fast enough.

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The drive back to the station was filled with laughter and stories. Olivia warned Elliot about Dani and Fin. He laughed when he heard about them. "Wow. I never would have put them together."

"Well, that's not the only shocker." Olivia grinned, making a left turn. "Try this match. Munch and Casey." She burst out laughing as she took in Elliot's bulging eyes and gaping mouth. "Yes, Casey and John are interested in each other. Amazing, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He managed to say, trying to process all the drama that had been going on in the past few months.

"Now keep in mind that it's nothing official for any of them. Or at least, not that they've told any of us. But then again, Don and I always are the last to know about these things." She winked at Elliot before turning into her parking space at the precinct. She turned to Elliot. "Well, partner. Ready to face the music?"

He gave her his famous shit-eating grin. "As ready as I'll ever be."

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"Shhhh!" Dani put a finger to her lips as she turned from the window. "They're here! And they are coming up the elevator. Kill the lights!" The lights were killed and everyone waited in hushed silence. The clacks of the elevator informed everyone of the descent then the ascent of the metal box that would bring the much beloved detective and his partner back into the world of the Special Victims Unit. A ding resounded through the darkened room and the doors banged open.

"Surprise!" Light flooded the room and both Elliot and Olivia took a step back in shock as the room exploded into excited shouts and laughter. Olivia gave a shocked laugh and gave Elliot a huge hug before he was pulled away to join the crowd.

"Elliot!" He was attacked by Munch and Fin. "Man, are we glad you are back!" Fin exclaimed.

"Yes, Olivia is impossible to handle!" Munch joked. Olivia had made her way over to Elliot in time to hear Munch's statement and gave his arm a good whack. "Hey, what was that for?"

Olivia just grinned and laced her fingers with Elliot's. The other two detectives smiled at the simple intimacy of it all. Casey joined the group, placing a hand on John's arm. "Hello, Elliot. It is good to have you back."

"Thanks, Casey. I'm glad you got that case solved. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be back at all." Elliot reached out and pulled her into a side hug. He smiled over at Olivia. "You brought me back to Liv."

"I just did my job, Detective. Besides, I hated seeing Olivia so depressed." She smiled at Elliot. She looked over his shoulder and grinned at the person behind him. "C'mon, Dani. We don't bite."

"I do." Fin muttered with a grin at Dani. She blushed as she took a stand beside Fin.

"So, you and Fin, huh?" Elliot teased, poking her arm. "It's about time, Beck."

"Well, it's about time for you and Liv." She shot back with a small grin, taking Fin's hand in hers. She winked at Olivia. "I am so getting you back."

Olivia groaned. Elliot just looked confused. "Never mind, baby." Olivia whispered. "It's better you didn't know, I think." Olivia, Dani, and Casey shared a laugh together. "Hey, Melinda!" Olivia noticed the mortitianer standing by herself at the cake. She came over to the group.

"So, no comments about my cake, Elliot?" She asked with a huge grin.

"I haven't seen it yet. Why, did you put dead body parts in it?" He asked, faking a horrified face. Melinda just rolled her eyes.

"Behave." Olivia tugged on his arm. "She worked hard on that cake."

"Thank-you, Liv." Melinda smiled. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I have a cake to cut."

"Elliot!" Don came barreling out of his office. "Sorry I wasn't out here earlier. Someone locked me in my office." He glared at Dani and Munch who suddenly became interested in the floor or the ceiling. Elliot just burst out laughing. Don turned his glare to El. "Thanks for the sympathy. I was going to offer your old job back. Now maybe I'll keep Dani here."

"No thanks!" Dani said quickly. "I've had enough with SVU. The only part of it I want now is Fin, thank you very much."

"And I want El back." Olivia added. "As much fun Dani and I have had…" They shared another grin and Olivia continued. "…we both think that its time I have my old partner back."

Elliot was beginning to feel impatient. "Guys…"

"Go, Elliot." Don interrupted. "I won't keep you any longer from your kids."

"We're coming with." Olivia, Dani, Casey, Fin, and Munch chorused together.

Don just sighed. 'GO!"

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The five detectives and a certain ADA walked into the hospital, huge grins gracing all their faces. With a smile, the nurse on duty informed the group that all the Stabler kids were in Lizzy's room and that they would welcome a visit from them. Elizabeth Stabler was about to get the surprise of her life.

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Lizzy sat up when a knock at the door sounded through the quiet room. She exchanged a look with her siblings before calling out "come in!"

The door slowly opened. She gasped. "Daddy?"

"Dad!" The other three chorused, standing up in surprise.

"Hello, Lizzy." He said softly. "Maureen, look at you! And Dickie, you are growing more every day." He turned to Kathleen and smiled softly. "You look more like your mom every day." He turned back to Lizzy. "How are you, squirt?"

She was crying hard. "Daddy, you're okay!" He sat on the edge of her bed and held out his arms. She fell into them. "Daddy!"

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Even Munch was wiping his eyes. Casey smiled at him. He grinned back and nodded to the other's standing there. "We're going to make an exit now. We have dinner plans!"

"Have fun, Munch!" Three voices chorused together. "And Munch?" Olivia added. "Don't bore her with conspiracies."

Casey laughed as they left, with Munch making a show of putting his nose in the air and strutting off.

Fin squeezed Dani's hand. "I'll be right back. The call of nature is ringing."

Dani smirked. "Just go, Fin, before you have an accident!"

Olivia and Dani were standing side by side, neither speaking. Finally, Olivia broke the silence. "You once told Elliot that we don't make a difference in SVU." They both kept their eyes on the reunion between the Stabler children and Elliot. "That right there is proof that we at special victims make a difference." Elliot looked up and smiled at her through the window in the door. She turned and smiled at Dani before walking into join the family.

Dani watched the reunion alone for a minute before turning and walking down the hall. She saw Fin standing at the corner.

He held out his hand to her. "C'mon, Dani. I'll take you home."

_Life is definitely looking up._

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AN: One more chapter after this. Oh, and the time to get from Alphabet City to Manhattan, I have no idea if it's correct. I haven't been to New York in what seems like eons, and I've never been to Alphabet City. Toodles!


	15. Chapter 15

AN: This is the last actual chapter, and then I'm writing the epilogue. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: Do not own.

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A week had passed since Elliot's return, and the week had been filled with love, happiness, and laughter. Stories were exchanged, jokes were told, hugs were given, and the love was abundant. It hadn't taken much convincing to the Brass to let Elliot back into SVU. The only change that was requested was the partnership. If problems arose, Olivia would be paired with Fin, and Elliot would be with Munch. It wasn't the ideal situation, but as Cragen reminded them, it allowed them to work together for the time being. Besides, even Brass knew that Detectives Stabler and Benson were the best pair of detectives in the force and to force them apart would prove disastrous.

Kathy and Jose were both in jail with no hope for parole, and Elliot couldn't be happier with that bit of news.

Lizzy was released from the hospital halfway through the week. She had been worried about her dad's reaction to her paralysis, but he proved to be very sympathetic. He hadn't become over bearing, or over protective. She was happy to be out of the hospital despite the fact that she knew that she would never walk again. She was just happy to be alive. Luckily, she was only paralyzed from the waist down. It had taken some time to get Maureen's apartment adjusted to her wheelchair, but it had been well worth it to have everyone in the same place once more. Elliot had moved back into his apartment with Olivia, who had never bothered to remove Elliot's belongings because she didn't want to be parted from him.

It was two day's before Christmas, and Elliot had a special dinner planned for him and Olivia. The kids had all agreed that the pair needed their time together, and Maureen offered to help Olivia pick a dress out for the dinner. He was taking her to one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. So now Olivia was browsing stores with Elliot's oldest daughter, and she couldn't help but feel as if they were all plotting something against her.

"Hey Mom, try this one on." Maureen held out a dark blue, tea length dress that was longer in the back than it was in the front.

Olivia gave it a once over and smiled. "That's a beautiful dress, Maur." She took it and continued to leaf through the racks of dresses. Soon, between the two of them, they found a total of 8 dresses for her to try on. She stepped into the dressing room, with Maureen camped directly outside the door.

"Now, Mom. Make sure you show me every dress. Even if it doesn't look right to you, I know what Dad likes." Maureen ordered.

Olivia was sure that an evil smirk was evident on Maureen's face. "Yes, dear." She said sweetly. She could almost hear Maureen's eyes roll.

"Wow, Mom." That was all Maureen could say as Liv stepped out of the room. "That's it. That's the one."

Olivia was wearing the first one that Maureen had held out. The front of the dress hit directly above her knees, and the back of the dress hit mid calf. The dress itself was sleeveless and the cut was just low enough to hint at some cleavage. The skirt of the dress was layered in a diagonal, with the top layer the dark blue, and the bottom layer black.

"We'll get you shoes too, Mom." Maureen grinned. "That's the dress. I don't even have to see the rest of the dresses."

Olivia had to agree with Maureen. She stepped back inside the dressing room. "It's a good thing that this dress is on sale." She muttered as she changed out of dress back into her jeans, baby-tee, and zip-up sweatshirt. She handed Maureen the dress and took the others back to the rack. "Lead on, oh fearless leader." Olivia teased Maureen who in turn took on a lofty air and flounced her way to the shoes.

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Meanwhile, as Olivia and Maureen were having their bonding moments, Elliot was pacing outside Don Cragen's office waiting for Don to get off of the phone. The moment that he heard the click of the phone, Elliot was in the room. Don refrained from smiling at the nervous detective. "Can I help you with something, Stabler?"

"Uh, yeah." He fiddled with something in his pocket, looking down at the ground. "I have a question for you. I know she isn't your daughter, but I know how you feel about her, Olivia, that is. And I know she thinks of you as a father figure, so I was wondering…" He froze and swallowed. "Mayihaveoliviashandinmarriage?"

Don swallowed a grin and leaned forward, speaking somewhat sternly. "Come again, Stabler?"

Elliot felt about 2 feet tall. "What I said, Sir is may I have Olivia's hand in marriage?"

"Yes." Don said without missing a beat. He let out his grin at the look on Elliot's face. "Just one thing for you to remember, Elliot. Take care of her. Because if you hurt my daughter, I will hurt you."

"I understand, Captain. I have three daughters of my own." He smiled, relieved that the hardest part of the asking was over. _Well, maybe not. Olivia has to say yes first._

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"C'mon, Mom. You look fine!" Lizzy was giggling at the sight of Olivia pacing around nervously. She looked stunning in the dress, shoes, and necklaces she had purchased that afternoon with Maureen.

The door bell rang, and Olivia jumped. "Oh my god, he's here!" Elliot had gotten ready at their apartment so Olivia had gone over to Maureen's apartment to get ready for their special night.

Lizzy answered the door. They had changed the way the door opened so that it could open both ways for her. "Hi, Dad! Olivia's ready!"

Elliot's jaw dropped at the sight of Liv. "Wow." He finally managed after visibly checking her out twice.

She blushed. "See something you like, Stabler?" That managed to break the awkwardness of the situation.

"I always see something I like when I look at you, Benson." He whispered suggestively before kissing her deeply. The four kids suddenly became interested in something else.

"Dad." Dickie finally called out. "At least wait until we get out of the room!"

The couple pulled apart quickly, their faces a matching red. Olivia put on her coat and tucked her arm into the crook of Elliot's arm. "Shall we, Detective Stabler?"

"Allow me to escort you to the vehicle, Detective Benson." He gave a small bow and held open the door. She giggled and looked back to see the three girls all waving and smirking.

The ride to dinner was enjoyable. They talked about everything and nothing. He was every bit the gentleman. He opened her car door for her, and held the door open for her at the restaurant. He pulled out her chair at the table and waited for her to be seated before taking a seat. She was touched by his chivalry and told him so. He just smiled. "It's easy to be chivalrous towards the woman I love, Liv."

"I love you too, El." She smiled, taking a sip of water. The waiter came to them and asked what they wanted to drink.

"Wine." Elliot asked, a little nervous about the evening.

"I'll share his." Olivia smiled. "Just a bottle for us would be fine."

The waiter left and soon returned with a bottle of wine. He expertly opened the bottle and poured them each a glass and informed them that he would return to take their orders shortly.

"El, I want the Chicken Parmesan." Olivia showed him on the menu. "I'll be back; I have to use the restroom."

He nodded and examined the menu a bit before deciding on the House Lasagna. The waiter came back and Elliot explained what each of them wanted and also ordered a salad for each of them. The salads came just as Olivia returned to the table. They ate in a comfortable silence. However, Elliot was starting to feel more and more uneasy. He could feel Olivia's questioning eyes on him and knew that she could sense his uneasiness. He had just decided to ask when the waiter returned with their food.

_Oh bother._ He smiled politely at the waiter and thanked him. Olivia picked up her fork, but didn't eat yet. "Elliot? Are you okay?" She questioned gently, a thousand reasons for his uneasiness running through her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He forced out a smile. "Well, I will be at least." _Screw it; I'm just going to ask!_

Olivia's hand went to her mouth in shock as Elliot went down on one knee and held out the box showing the ring. "Olivia Benson, you are the love of my life. I can't imagine what life would be like if you hadn't become my partner that day 8 years ago. You have taught me so much about life, and about love. Every day that you were gone my mind was on you. You never left my mind while I was in the witness protection. Olivia, will you marry me?"

Tears were running down her cheeks. "Oh, Elliot. Yes, I will marry you." She framed his face with her hands and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"You didn't even look at the ring." He teased accusingly, sitting back in his chair, holding onto her hand.

"It's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous." She said, her eyes not leaving his.

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"Let me see it!" The three girls were waiting eagerly for Olivia's return; Dickie had gone to a friend's house. She laughed and insisted that she changed first. The girls reluctantly allowed her to change and the moment she opened the door again they insisted that she show them her hand.

The ring was a simple silver band with three diamonds, one larger one in the middle and two smaller ones on either side. The ring wasn't huge, which was perfectly fine for Olivia. She wasn't into the huge complex rings anyway.

Elliot walked into the room to see his four favorite girls on the couch talking about wedding plans. Or, rather, his daughters were discussing the wedding plans and Olivia was leaning back against the back of the couch with a contented smile on her face.

Their eyes met and her smile brightened. _I love you._ She mouthed. He smiled and mouthed it back before heading back into his room to change.

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Christmas was spent with the whole gang from the precinct. They decided that with such a huge group that they should meet at the precinct. The desks had been shoved to the edge of the room. The men had put up a tree in the middle of the room and underneath the tree was a huge array of presents that everyone had brought from their own homes. A Christmas feast was warming up in the kitchenette and music was softly coming through the speakers on Elliot's computer.

Fin and Dani were there, and announced that they were together. "Finally!" Liv, Munch, and Casey yelled. John and Casey weren't quite dating yet, but were more than content to act as if they were. Olivia and Elliot were acting the engaged couple perfectly. George Huang had been excited to hear that the two of them were finally engaged. At the present moment, he and Melinda were engaged in an intense conversation.

The four Stabler kids along with Fin's son were there and were in a corner keeping to themselves mostly. They were plotting a way to get all of the couples in the room and had somehow forced Don into their plans. Maureen and Dickie had managed to procure a huge amount of mistletoe and were waiting for the opportune moment to hang it all over the precinct. Don's job was to get the three couples out of the room, which he did by pretending that there was a case they needed to discuss. This gave the kids about 5 minutes to hang the mistletoe, and they got George and Melinda to help.

The rest of the party was spent with the couples trying to avoid the mistletoe and them trying to get Don for helping the kids with the prank. Olivia and Elliot ended up just staying underneath one of the sprigs of the 'love plant' and starting making out. That ended the game instantly, because the last thing Don wanted to see was his 'daughter' and soon to be 'son-in-law' making out.

As revenge, Munch and Fin threatened Don into the Santa suit to hand out the presents. Don grudgingly began to call out names, his fake white beard falling off of one side of his face. The gift exchange lasted for an hour, with laughter and jokes abundant. A paper war began between Dickie and Lizzy, which soon escalated into a war between everyone in the room.

Sun down came too soon for them all, and soon everyone was beginning to pack up their gifts and head out. The kids were the first to go. Fin and Dani were next, promising that they would return the next day to help clean up the office. Munch and Casey helped clean some of the paper up before Munch insisted taking Casey home. Don looked at Olivia and Elliot. Elliot was sweeping some of the paper up, but Liv had fallen asleep on top of her desk.

"Elliot, take her home." Don whispered. "We'll finish up here." Melinda and George agreed.

Elliot nodded and put the broom down. "Liv, honey." He put a hand on her shoulder and shook gently.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, El?"

He smiled. She was beautiful, even after just waking up. "Let's go home, Liv."

She didn't even argue. "Okay."

"Goodbye all, we shall see you in the morning." Elliot held onto Olivia's hand as they made their way out of the office and into the elevator. The moment the doors closed, Olivia crashed her lips to Elliot's. "Mmm." He murmured against her lips before opening his mouth and letting their tongues meet.

She eagerly accepted his tongue into her mouth and began massaging it with her own. His hands slipped down to waist and he pulled her flush against him, allowing her to feel his erection against her stomach. Her stomach filled with a fire as her own desire was stoked with every beat of her heart and stroke from his hands. The doors clanged open and the pulled apart abruptly.

"The kids are at Maureen's tonight, right?" Olivia asked breathlessly, running a hand through her tousled hair.

"Right." Elliot answered, trying to compose himself. He gave her his shit-eating grin and they climbed into his jeep, both of them eager to get home and finish what they started.

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AN: Aww, I love this! It's almost done! Guess what the epilogue is about…? And no, I don't write smut. I will HINT at it, like I did at the end of this chapter, but I won't write anything graphic.


	16. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Not mine

AN: And here it is: the epilogue. It's been a fun story to write. We'll see if I can get one about House and Cameron to go this long. Lol. If I get some good ideas, I might write a sequel. It just won't be this long. Here is a chapter that is full of EO fluffiness. Thank-you to all my wonderful readers and EO shippers:-D

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"Mom, hold still!" Kathleen ordered with a smile. She shared a grin with her sisters and adjusted the veil over Olivia's face. "There, perfect. Lizzy, bring the bouquet over here."

Lizzy rolled over to the pair and handed Olivia her flowers. "Mom, you look gorgeous."

"I can't believe that I'm marrying your dad." Olivia was every ounce the clichéd blushing bride.

"We can." Maureen grinned and took both of Olivia's hands in hers. "He loves you, Mom. We could tell from the moment we met you that you two were soul mates. It became even clearer after the divorce. I love you, Mom."

Olivia blinked back the tears. "Thank-you, Maur. You are so dear to me. You all are. I love you guys so much."

A knock at the door turned their heads to towards the noise. "Who is it?" Kathleen boomed out.

Don poked his head in. "Is my daughter ready to be walked down the isle?" It had been 6 months since Elliot had gone to Don and asked for permission to marry Olivia. Don couldn't have been happier for his two best detectives.

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Elliot was an emotional wreck, though no one would've been able to tell from the outside. He had Dickie standing as his best man with Fin and Munch as his groomsmen. Olivia had surprised them all by asking Dani to be her maid of honor, and had asked Casey and Melinda to be her other bridesmaids.

They had refused to have the traditional wedding march because Olivia hated being clichéd. Instead, she was marching in to Boadicea, a song by Enya, who she secretly listened to. When Elliot had found out, he had teased her for hours before she gave him the silent treatment and he apologized.

He was now standing at the front of the church and tried to still his shaking hands. "Dad." He turned to look at Dickie. "It'll be okay." They exchanged smiles and Elliot turned back to the front.

The bridesmaids all walked up the isle and took their places and the music started for Olivia. He swallowed hard and as the doors opened, he saw his love, his life walking towards him on the arm of the man who was like a father. Unbidden tears sprang to his eyes, and he couldn't keep the smile off his face. His eyes met Olivia's and they didn't break off, not even when Don placed her hand in his and the priest began his marriage sermon.

"Do you, Elliot Stabler…" He barely heard the priest's words.

"Yes, I do."

"And do you, Olivia Benson…"

"With all my heart, I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Elliot, you may kiss your bride."

"It's about time." Don, Fin, and Munch all muttered in unison.

That shit eating grin was present as he leaned in. "I love you, Olivia Stabler." He whispered.

"I love you too, Elliot Stabler. Now shut up and kiss me."

He obliged and a huge cheer went up from the crowd, started by none other than the other detectives from the squad.

Olivia giggled and blushed. Elliot just grinned and picked Olivia up, escorting her down the isle. The priest just smiled. He had known Elliot and Olivia for years and was secretly relieved that they were finally married.

The small reception was short, sweet, and to the point. Everyone had work the next day with the exception of the newly weds, and Dani was back in SVU for the next two weeks while the love birds honeymooned at a small resort on the coast of Maine.

Elliot knew better than to assume that life would be rainbows and butterflies from here on out, but he also knew that with Olivia by his side, they could get through anything life would throw at them. At least, he hoped they could.

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**Finito!**

AN: What do you think about a story about Dani and Fin, as well as a story about John and Casey? Maybe even a sequel for Olivia and Elliot? No promises…but we'll see. I am a full time college student that needs to pass her classes. You've been a great audience! Until next time, this is Psycho Strider signing out!


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